During the next two weeks, Jordan Public Schools will be hiring a new kindergarten teacher.

With intentions of keeping class sizes down, the Jordan School Board unanimously voted tonight to add a sixth classroom to those already headed up by Shannon Aukes, Mary Clawson, Stephanie Olstad, Bill Rutz, and Kathy Schussler. The board made its decision in spite of its dwindling budget, a generally poor economy, and roughly $50,000 of budget cuts it might need to make next year to pay the new teacher's salary.

"It may be short lived," Superintendent Kirk Nelson warned.

But the school board decided it was the right thing to do for several reasons that members articulated during a meeting today. The board's policies include a goal of having an average kindergarten class size of no more than 23 students, official numbers show an estimate of 128 students coming to kindergarten this fall, and more young people are moving into Jordan's newest neighborhood.

If no hire was made and 128 children entered kindergarten this year, there would've been an average of 25.6 students per classroom. Topping 24 students would've made the five kindergarten classrooms the largest in that grade during the past 12 years.

"That's a number that should be lower," Nelson said. "Right now, that's higher than you have in the other grades."

According to the board's written policy, each classroom should have no more than: 23 students in first and second grades; 25 in third and fourth grades; 27 in fifth and sixth grades; and 28 in seventh and eighth grades.

With an additional kindergarten teacher, this school year's kindergarten students-per-classroom ratio changes to 21.3 to 1. This is not a realistic number, though. Jordan Elementary School Principal Stacy DeCorsey predicted that the school year will start with more than 128 kindergartners.

"My guess is 130, 132," she said.

DeCorsey's estimate means that growth at Jordan Townhomes, near the intersection of Hope Avenue and Old Highway 169, would boost the students-per-classroom ratio to something in the neighborhood of 22 to 1. F for fear of having a surprise 25 children show up at the elementary school on Sept. 2, the first day of school, DeCorsey began questioning the developers of the property. 

"I've got a pretty good handle on the number," DeCorsey said. "I've been talking with the developer. ... I think they know who's moving in there. They just haven't moved in yet."

The board's policy to stay within the self-imposed goals for low class sizes is voluntary. In fact, it states, "All of the above are only arbitrary guidelines, and the board, at any time, may waive these goals."

It also states that, in the case of this year's kindergarten classrooms, a total of 127 or more students would indicate that an additional teacher is necessary.

Parents tend to look at the students-per-classroom ratio, Nelson said. They might enroll their children in a different district if they want to have smaller class sizes than Jordan offers, but once you get them into kindergarten in your district, most students stay, he added.

Finding the money for a new hire wasn't an issue the school board discussed at length. 

"We're doing it because of the kids," Board Member Joe Benko said.

Finding a new hire on short notice was also all but a moot point. 

"I'll find somebody," DeCorsey said.