New classroom model OK'd for Holton Elementary

Holton Elementary School will switch to a “Partner Teaching Model’’ for fourth and fifth grades next year, it was announced at the school board meeting here Monday night.

“Next year, we will transition from four self-contained classrooms to a Partner Teaching Model for fourth and fifth grades,’’ said HES Principal Taylor Dunham in a report to the board. “Teachers will work in pairs, with one teacher instructing ELA (English language arts) and social studies and the other teaching math and science. Each team of teachers will share a group of students, allowing for more focused instruction while maintaining strong student-teacher relationships. Students will still have a homeroom teacher who will be the prime communicator with parents/guardians.’’

Dunham said fourth and fifth graders will remain in the same classroom each morning with the same teacher and then in the afternoon will have a 90-minute instruction time in other subjects with the other teacher. Dunham said fourth and fifth grade teachers were “60-40 in favor’’ of the partner teaching model, so far. He also commented that test scores at the school indicate some instructional changes are needed.

Anticipated outcomes include teachers able to teach to more to their own personal strengths, improved student learning and engagement, smoother transition to middle school that starts in sixth grade, increased collaboration among teachers and more effective classroom management.

Concerned that tariffs the U.S. government are currently utilizing to eliminate a trade imbalance with foreign countries may adversely affect new Apple technology purchases for the district, the Holton school board voted 5-1 here Monday evening to allocate $314,290.32 now for the planned purchases instead of waiting until next month as was planned.

Board member Judy May cast the lone dissenting vote saying Apple wasn’t offering the district any big price discounts in the deal that was approved and that the school board was still in the process of putting together a new budget for the district.

Tom Sextro, technology director, recommended the board take action now as a proactive way to possibly avoid any new tariffs that might be approved. The price quote listed by the Apple company is valid until May 8, it was reported. “The chips could be tariffed,’’ Sextro told board members.

The district plans to make four annual payments of $78,572.59 with zero interest out of its technology budget to pay for the new Apple purchases. Included in the purchase are 770 11-inch iPads ($324 apiece), 543 keyboard cases ($99.95 apiece), 25 protective cases ($349.50 apiece) and 200 USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapters ($9 apiece).

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