The number of students enrolling in the Atlantic Community School District continue to increase. That was the word Monday night from Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein, during his report to the school board. Amstein says the district “Is up about 30 students. That’s very good. We continue to be somewhat of an anomaly in southwest Iowa [because other districts are not picking up students like Atlantic is].”

He said as of Monday, there were 1,492 Kindergarten through 12th grade students in enrolled. The biggest increase is between the incoming Kindergarten Class and Senior Class. He said it marks the fourth consecutive year that the school district has shown an enrollment increase.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board Monday, approved a sharing agreement with the Harlan Community School District for a Curriculum Director. Amstein says Harlan wanted to share services with regard to their ESL – English as a Second Language – program, with the curriculum delivered under the guidance of Atlantic’s curriculum director.

Amstein said there are some operational sharing dollars available to Atlantic the agreement, which allows 100-percent for 5-years, as long as the agreement continues for that time frame. The agreement would allow Atlantic’s ESL Director to communicate via Skype with the Harlan District three Friday’s per month, and be on-site for a half day on Friday’s, once a month. It’s estimated 12 students in the Harlan District would be served by the arrangement, for a total of 28 between the districts.

And, the Atlantic School Board Monday, approved a School Resource Officer’s (SRO) Agreement for the 2013-2014 school year. The agreement is in-line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Cass County County Sheriff’s Department, CAM, Griswold and Atlantic School Districts, as far as cost sharing is concerned.