Relief on way for North class sizes
BY SUSAN LaHOUD SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Thursday, May 8, 2008 10:22 AM EDT
NORTH ATTLEBORO - There will likely be some relief for Grade 3 class sizes at the Martin Elementary School in the coming school year with the addition of an integrated class, which would relocate a special education teacher from the Community School to Martin.
Superintendent Rick Smith told the school committee Monday that the change "will focus on one grade level at the school, which would have been a problem for us next year."
He said larger second-grade classes at Martin with 26 students this year would be reduced when they move on to third grade. The transition was made possible with cost savings from some retirements.
An integrated classroom mixes students with special needs and typical students. There will be a special education teacher and a regular classroom teacher in that class.
Smith said that a small number of children now at the Community School would change to the Martin School for the class.
"Grade 2 was the most pressing issue in the district this year" in terms of elementary school class sizes, he said.
There are similar problems at the high school, and there could be some relief coming on that level, too, Smith said. "There is a retirement there that might allow us to add a teacher in a department."
"Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we can commit to that," he said.
The transitions are being planned in the wake of cost savings expected to be realized with the retirement of a number of teachers who will be replaced with less experienced staff at lower salaries.
Smith reiterated his previous statements that no layoffs are planned, meaning "we will retain all existing staff for the coming school year." But there will not be funds to restore the more than 20 teaching positions cut over the previous two years.
There is also no money within the school budget at this point for teacher raises. The district's teachers' contract is set to expire in September. Plans are currently to request the money for salary increases from free cash at the October town meeting for those raises.
