Mentor Schools Superintendent Talks Shrinking Enrollment, Possible Staff Reductions

Mentor Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes has discussed the .

However, on Tuesday at the Board of Education meeting, she went into more detail and discussed the impact the projected drop is expected to have on each school in the district during the next four years.

She expects many of the schools will have teaching positions cut because fewer students will require fewer teachers.

Hoynes said she anticipated , , , , and elementary schools would each lose one teaching position during the next four years.

As per middle schools, Hoynes predicted that both and would have to cut four teaching positions – one from each major discipline.

Meanwhile, at , eight teaching positions would likely need to be cut – two from each major discipline.

Hoynes said the district avoided layoffs previously by cutting positions through attrition. She added that she expected the administration would be able to do the same with the aforementioned cuts.

Mentor Schools has closed three school buildings in the last decade to reflect its decreasing enrollment. Most recently, closed at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

Hoynes said she is sometimes asked if a middle school, most often , is next in line to be closed.

She told the Board of Education Tuesday that she did not think the district would need to close a middle school in the next four years.

"By moving the preschools (to Ridge,) we're actually at a pretty good capacity," Hoynes said.

Also at the BOE meeting:

• The administration congratulated Ridge Middle School for receiving the Lake County General Health District's "Working Well" award. They received it for their afterschool Right Healthy Eating club, which taught kids about nutrition and showed them how to prepare affordable, healthy recipes. The club was originated by Lisa Cmunt.

• The Board decided to have its October meeting at Brentmoor, so its members could see renovations that were made during the summer.