Applications to outdoor school top capacity

With the registration deadline approaching, applications to the Riveredge Outdoor Learning Elementary School in the Town of Saukville have exceeded the number of seats available in the K-4 program.

As of Tuesday, the school already has 96 applications for 72 spots in its kindergarten through fourth-grade classes, Riveredge Executive Director Jessica Jens said. Jens said the 96 children represent families from 15 school districts.

The school, known as ROLES, is expected to begin operating through the Northern Ozaukee School District this fall and use the nature center property in the Town of Saukville as a year-round outdoor classroom. 

Applications broken down by grade are: 40 in kindergarten, 15 in first grade, 17 in second, 10 in third and 14 in fourth.

Each class will be limited to 18 students. With third and fourth grade being combined in the school’s first year of operation, only nine students will be accepted for each of those grades, Jens said.

The deadline to apply is April 30 under the state’s open-enrollment program.    

Jens said it’s possible the size of each class could be adjusted based on the number of applications.

“Flexibility in class sizes is certainly an option we are looking at to ensure we can fill the school this coming year with the maximum of 72 students,” Jens stated in an email. 

“That being said, we are waiting for final application numbers after the deadline of April 30 to make any firm decisions on this.”

Jens said a lottery will be held at 8 p.m. on May 9 at Riveredge. Waiting lists will be created for those not selected in the lottery, she said.

Ultimately, enrollment at the school is expected to top out at between 99 and 108 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, Jens said.

ROLES cleared a couple other important final hurdles this week.

On Monday, the Northern Ozaukee School Board reconfirmed its contract with the school to operate as a charter school under the school district’s auspices. The vote was necessary after the state Department of Public Instruction made mostly cosmetic changes in the contract.

On Tuesday, the Saukville Town Board voted to rezone about 40 acres of the Riveredge Nature Center from parks to institutional where the school will be located.

Both measures passed unanimously.

The school’s lead teacher and a part-time teacher have both joined the school’s staff and are currently working on developing the school’s curriculum, Jens said.

Jens said the school is currently in the process of hiring two additional teachers for the upcoming school year and will be posting an administrative-assistant position in the next month or so.  

“We are making good progress and are confident all time lines and benchmarks will continue to be met,” Jens said.

School staff will participate in a three-week “Summer Institute” in July and August to finalize curriculum, participate in professional development and continue the development of the school structure and culture.   

ROLES will be the first outdoor school in southeast Wisconsin and one of just a few in the state.

ROLES will be a tuition-free public school that follows the Northern Ozaukee School District calendar, and its students will take state standardized tests. The school will be an independent organization led by a governance council and be financially self-sustaining without need for fundraising.

The school will receive state aid.

Riveredge already has a popular 4K program that it operates in partnership with the Kettle Moraine YMCA and the West Bend School District. In addition, the center holds summer camps and other outdoor activities that model how the new school might operate.

A school preview night will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, at the nature center.

For more information, visit www.theriveredgeschool.org.