School Resumes - Surrey - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

School Resumes - Surrey

Christmas break is over and classrooms are filling up again.

There is a steady increase in just how full Surrey School classrooms are becoming.

Surrey Elementary Principal Debbie Hansen says the elementary school increased by 20 students last fall, and the high school grew slightly more than that.

While the new semester has NOT introduced additional students so far, she says the school is bracing for another increase.

The vote to expand Surrey School did NOT pass last year.

Hansen says the school expansion plan will be reintroduced to the June ballot, but school officials are working to balance just how much to add on.

(Debbie Hansen, Surrey Elementary Principal) "It's kind of a guessing game at this point. But the odds are pretty good that we're going to have a lot of growth out here from what we're seeing with the lots being sold."

Hansen says the lower elementary grades are experiencing the fastest rate of growth.

School officials are trying to maintain smaller classes sizes with two sections of almost every grade.

(Debbie Hansen, Surrey Elementary Principal) "We're trying to keep the classes 20 and under but we're at the point that if we have to add more, we don't have the room to do it. So we'll end up with bigger classes if we don't get more room to spread them out a little bit."

Hansen says safety protocols are evolving at Surrey Elementary.

Outside doors have always been locked, but inside classroom doors are now kept locked as well.

Hansen says they are trying to get students used to seeing police officers make rounds through the school halls during the day.