Teachers aides should ease the classroom crunch in Mandan Public Schools.

The district hired the equivalent of eight full-time aides and two part-time aides. The Mandan School Board considered the new positions at a school board meeting Tuesday.

It will cost the district about $160,000, which it budgeted.

Most of the aides will be used in kindergarten, although it hired some for first grade and second grade.

Custer will have a half-time kindergarten aide; Fort Lincoln will have two kindergarten aides; Lewis and Clark will have a kindergarten aide and a first grade aide; Mary Stark will have a kindergarten aide, first grade aide and part-time second grade aide; and Roosevelt will have a kindergarten and a first grade aide.

Enrollment is up in the district. First day enrollment was up 58 students for kindergarten through 12th grade. There were 3,295 students, including early childhood and home school students.

Lewis and Clark Elementary had 420 students; Fort Lincoln Elementary had 371 students; Roosevelt Elementary had 276 students; Mary Stark Elementary had 229 students; and Custer Elementary had 126 students. The Great Plains Sixth Grade Academy had 242 students; Mandan Middle School had 526 students; and Mandan High School had 1,045 students.

The meeting Tuesday was the first meeting for Jill Goetz, who was appointed to the board to replace former board member Denis Montplaisir.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)