Board approves three half-time 4K teacher positions as enrollment shifts prompt staffing change

The Waunakee Community School District board voted to add three half-time licensed teaching positions for its 4K program for one year, a staffing choice administrators said will help secure school-based seats while the district tracks rapidly changing enrollment.

Miranda, the district 4K coordinator, told the board that enrollment and placement decisions are changing "daily," and that parents overwhelmingly preferred morning-only classes at school sites in the district. She presented a rolling placement document showing 246 potential 4K spaces and a current district enrollment of 176, with additional families still deciding. Miranda warned some parents might withdraw enrollment if their first-choice placements could not be honored.

Board members debated options including adding paraeducators to increase capacity versus hiring additional licensed teachers. Administrators noted hiring three half-time teachers for one year would cost less than fully staffing district-run classrooms and could be re-evaluated after 2026–27. "If we approve more than 4 (open-enrollment) a parent will not appeal our decision to DPI; if we accept less, it could be appealed," a facilities/budget representative told the board while explaining open-enrollment mechanics.

After a motion and second, the board approved the three one-year half-time positions and instructed staff to post the positions and monitor enrollment and fiscal impacts, including any effect from the state Get Kids Ready reimbursements. The motion passed by voice vote.

The district will return to the board with open-enrollment results in May and reassess staffing needs in light of final figures and any fiscal implications.