Five takeaways from Gwinnett school board meeting

Northbrook Middle School parent Gary Beleen complained that his children are in classes that have 35 to 38 students. The typical number of students in a middle school classroom is about two dozen. Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks said class sizes should return to normal by Monday at that school and others.

New name for school

The board approved a staff recommendation to name a school under construction in the Norcross area Baldwin Elementary School after Beauty P. Baldwin, a longtime civic leader, former Gwinnett teacher and former Buford school district superintendent, the first African-American woman to hold that position in Georgia.

Student enrollment increasing

Gwinnett has added about 7,000 students since the school year began, officials said. The district had slightly more than 176,000 students as of last week. A final head count will take place next month.

Substitute teachers added

Officials say they’ve added 509 substitute teachers since May. Some teachers and board members complained earlier this year about substitutes being unavailable when asked to teach.

Aspiring principals celebrated

The board honored 19 aspiring principals Thursday. Eight of those 19 have been appointed principals. Nearly all of the others are assistant principals or associate principals.