Several teachers on agenda to be hired
CONNELLSVILLE – Several new teachers will join the school staff as the Connellsville Area School District prepares for the 2005-06 school year, if board members authorize the hiring at the Wednesday regular meeting. During Monday’s agenda planning session, the personnel committee recommended two science and math teachers and a librarian be added to the staff.
“These positions needed to be filled,” said district Superintendent James Duncan.
According to Duncan, 40 1/2 positions have been eliminated over the past two months to pare expenses.
The positions include teaching staff, aides and other personnel.
“We needed to cut costs,” said Duncan, pointing to an existing $905,145 deficit spending plan.
The official expects to continue to downsize the staff through attrition.
“I anticipate other staff members to retire and the positions not be filled,” he said.
The result, in some cases, will be larger classes when students return at the end of their summer vacation.
“We’re going to have some classes with 28 students,” he said. “We would like to keep them at 22 or 23, but it appears that isn’t going to happen this year.”
Meanwhile, cutbacks are also being felt within the cafeteria.
Gloria Clawson, food service director, said that she anticipates a managerial position being eliminated and employee hours being cut to defray expenses.
Directors are expected to scale back a now seven-hour cafeteria worker position to six hours and a six-hour position to five hours at the Wednesday meeting.
Earlier it was announced that breakfast and lunch prices would increase for both students and teachers in a move to defray expenses.
Clawson attributed the school district’s higher lunch prices to rising gasoline and food costs and contracted employee salaries.
Students will now pay $1 for elementary and secondary breakfast; $1.85 for elementary lunch; $2.15 for secondary lunch and $3.25 for adult lunches.
Turning to other matters, the board is also poised to take the following action at the Wednesday meeting:
– Approve the repair of two boiler water pumps at the North Fayette Vocational-Technical School at an approximate cost of $5,000.
– Approve the purchase of 120 desks for the senior high school from the state bid list for an approximate cost of $11,520.
– Reschedule the August board meetings for Monday, Aug. 15, and Wednesday, Aug. 17.