Kingston Schools Receive $60,000 Donation Amid Enrollment Surge

Donation supports outdoor classroom as elementary school grapples with record student numbers

KINGSTON, MA - September 16 - The Kingston School Committee received a $60,000 donation from the Kingston Foundation for Education (KFE) on Monday night, even as it addressed concerns about surging enrollment at Kingston Elementary School (KES).

Allison Brown, president of KFE, presented the check at the committee meeting, saying, "We do a lot of work, obviously, to raise this money. The schools help tremendously. The principals are a huge part of this."

The funds will support various educational initiatives, including an outdoor classroom at KES. Dr. Kerri Whipple, principal of KES, reported that construction has already begun, with a cement slab in place and plans for a pavilion to be built by the high school carpentry program.

KFE has expanded its focus from solely technology to encompass STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Brown explained, "This could support anything that could fall under math, science, like an outdoor classroom."

While the donation was celebrated, the meeting also addressed concerns about record-high enrollment at KES. Dr. Whipple reported a total of 531 students, with kindergarten classes reaching up to 27 students.

"Kindergarten, we have our largest class yet of 195 students," Dr. Whipple said. "First grade, 162 and second grade, 174."

The increase in student population is causing concerns about classroom sizes and resources. Dr. Whipple acknowledged the challenges but remained optimistic, stating, "My staff always persevere and work really hard to make sure kids are getting a great experience regardless."

Despite the large class sizes, Dr. Whipple reported positive academic outcomes. "Our current first grade students are coming in at 70% at or above grade level, which is incredible," she said. She attributed this success to new curricula and smaller class sizes in the previous year's kindergarten.

The school is focusing on promoting "grit" this year to support student success. Dr. Whipple explained, "If you look at the research, it shows that IQ doesn't determine necessarily your success, but grit plays a huge role in that."

The enrollment surge has also exacerbated existing traffic and dismissal issues. Dr. Whipple reported long lines on 2nd Brook and Main Street during pickup and drop-off times. The school is working with the Kingston Police Department and the Department of Transportation to address these concerns.

"We're trying to work with KPD and we've had evaluations done through the Department of Transportation," Dr. Whipple said. "We're gonna try to set up a time to see if there's anything we can tweak to make it more efficient and better."