Principal touts Maple Grove School’s growth in student enrollment

Robin Hanson, teaching principal at Maple Grove Charter School in Hamburg, announced at the Sept. 18 Athens Board of Education meeting that her school’s student enrollment continues to grow each school year. The school educates students in kindergarten through fifth grades.

The Athens School Board approved a resolution at its September of 2021 annual meeting and budget hearing to allow Athens School District to purchase a total of 25 acres in the town of Hamburg and the Maple Grove School building from Merrill Area Public School District (MAPS). Athens School Board voted on Feb. 27, 2021 to attach the Hamburg sections of land and Maple Grove School, and to also renew a charter school contract with Maple Grove School.

On May 1, 2022, Athens School District acquired Maple Grove School and its attached parcels of land on CTH L in the town of Hamburg for $64,000 from MAPS. Athens School District also paid $21,600 to MAPS to acquire personal property associated with the school.

Hanson said 66 students attended Maple Grove School before it was detached from MAPS. She said the Maple Grove School enrollment was 72 students in the 2021-22 school year, which was the first year the school was attached to Athens School District. Hanson said Maple Grove School had an enrollment of 92 students in the 2022-23 school year and this school year there are 106 students enrolled at Maple Grove School. Maple Grove’s charter school contract states it can have up to 120 students.

In other news:

Athens School Board met in closed session during the Sept. 18 meeting and then reconvened into open session to approve staff contracts for this 202324 school year for Jamey Handschke, maintenance and operations supervisor; Heather Krueger, nutrition supervisor; Nathan Brost, technology support specialist; Beth Steinke, business office manager; Mary Dlugopolski, payroll specialist and Cheryl Strunk, executive assistant to the superintendent.