New proposal for overcrowding classrooms

Modular+classrooms+added+to+the+middle+school+to+accommodate+to+the+growth.+Eighth+graders+attend+core+classes+in+these+classrooms.++

Modular classrooms added to the middle school to accommodate to the growth. Eighth graders attend core classes in these classrooms.

Hannah Haworth, Co-Web Editor

Many students are experiencing the effects of the high school’s new epidemic: overcrowding. From limited textbooks to sharing lockers, Piper is nearly bursting at the seams. Since the last proposal for a new school was turned down, what does Piper do now?

Recently the school board has been reviewing different proposals for facilities, and the current plan is to construct an intermediate school to alleviate crowding at the elementary and middle schools and to expand upon the building in the future.

However, since 2011, Piper has been one of the top eight schools in enrollment growth in the state. This increase is attributed to the addition of 575 single-unit residential permits since 2009 and around 60-100 new students enrolled in the district each year. Overcapacity, at this rate of growth, will be reached in the high school by 2020-21, which will first affect the freshmen class of 2020. The plan for a new intermediate school may help students of the future, but students in the high school now are already struggling with limited resources and large class sizes.

“I would say it has a negative impact,” junior Scott Ladish said. “We tried to introduce online textbooks because we didn’t have the amount for all students to have a copy.”

Along with limited textbooks, some seniors, such as Kalin Fergus, did not have a locker at the beginning of the school year. While Fergus shares a locker, others decided to opt out of having one. This increase in students also led to large class sizes that sometimes affect the availability of a class.

“Many students are turned away from taking that course, or students do not have the proper tools in the class like desks and textbooks,” Ladish said.

Examples of overcrowding are seen all over the school from classroom sets of chemistry books to 70 students in concert choir.

Piper does face many problems due to the growth, but as assistant principal John Nguyen said, “Teachers are finding a way to accommodate.”

Teachers are dealing with large population growth by applying flipped classrooms or easier access to online resources through Google Classroom or Sophia.org.

“Our growth is presenting some challenges,” Nguyen said. “It’s a good problem to have, because evidently Piper’s reputation as one of the best districts in the metro is getting out there.”