A group of about three dozen Dorr Elementary School parents and volunteers appeared Monday evening at the Wayland Board of Education to protest prospects of not replacing a retiring teacher and increasing class sizes.
Group members maintained that not replacing a leaving teacher will bump the class size to as many as 30 students, which they held is not good educational policy. They also said the district has eliminated the assistant principal’s post, insisting,”This position is a huge support role and is needed. This is going to have a huge impact on our kids and teachers!”
Sarah Stanton told board members she wasn’t fond of the board’s recent decision to grant Supt. Tim Reeves a 3 percent raise in salary and an 8% annuity. Meanwhile, teachers and staff had to settled for one percent raises across the board.
One mother said her son suffers from anxiety problems and it will be much more difficult for him in an en large classroom.
Barbara O’Leary said she has three children who attend Dorr and she’s gotten a close-up view of the jobs the teachers do. She said she used to home school her children, but now understands why Dorr recently was accorded” Blue Ribbon” status.
Alex Truswell insisted too many kids will fall through the cracks with larger class sizes and maintained that “Now is the time to find better ways to save on the budget.”
Ashley Ferris, vice president of the Dorr Parent-Teacher Organization, told the board, “There’s no way teachers can do 30 kids at a time… I’m worried teachers are going to leave.”
Theresa Fulk, assistant superintendent for instruction, was at a conference, but left a written. Response.
Her statement was as follows:
- We want to reassure parents and staff that we closely monitor class sizes throughout the summer months, understanding that enrollment can fluctuate significantly before the school year starts.
- We start working on staffing for the next school year in January of each year. When we closed out the 24-25 school year, 1st grade and 3rd grade at Dorr Elementary were already on our radar due to class sizes approaching our threshold for adding an additional section.
- Our administrative team actively tracks both new student enrollments and withdrawals weekly, especially as enrollment starts picking up in July. This allows us to stay informed and responsive to shifting numbers.
- Parents can really help us to have accurate data by completing our annual online registration process or contacting our administration building if they have moved.
- We will continue to monitor these numbers throughout the summer and will make a final determination in early August to ensure we are adequatly staffed and prepared for any necessary classroom adjustments before the start of school.
- Our goal is always to balance the best possible learning environment for students while ensuring responsible and efficient staffing decisions.
- We are committed to keeping families informed as we finalize class rosters and make any necessary adjustments in preparation for a successful school year. We post teacher information in the Parent Portal before school starts.
Reeves later in the meeting told the parents that money used in the bond project for a new pool is in an entirely different bucket than wages are in the general fund.
He took the opportunity in the meeting to show how bond work plans have changed to save band members from having to lug their instruments throughout the school to the new band room location, saving yet even more money and opening up space for a proposed indoor athletic facility (See photo above, featuring Reeves at left and board members Becky Hohnke, Pete Zondervan and Stephanie Tromp).
The board took no action on the issue.
