BOE Adds 1st Grade Teacher to Kings Road School

Kings Road students will be welcoming a new first grade teacher on Wednesday.

The Board of Education voted to hire Bridget Clark to a newly created position to teach a third section upon the recommendation of Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Dwyer. The appointment is effective Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Kings Road originally had two sections entering the school year, but a slightly larger-than-expected enrollment caused Dwyer to observe the classes.

"So, on the agenda tonight there is a recommendation to add an additional section to that so that we can have a reasonable amount of youngsters at a very important grade level," Dwyer said.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Barbara Sargent said there were 48 students in first grade at Kings Road, with 24 in each section. The district's recommended class guidelines are for no more than 22 students at the first-grade level. Sargent also said there is also a possibility that another family may be coming to the district soon, as well, and that would further increase the enrollment.

The appointment was approved, but not without some budget discussion. Board Member Linda Gilbert asked where the money for the position was coming from, with Sargent saying she had remembered former Superintendent Dr. Richard Noonan building into the budget the possibility of three teaching sections.

Vice President Pat Rowe said that he believed at the end of the budgeting process, after the Borough Council had handed down its reduced budget, that the board had mentally calculated for two positions.

"We crossed our fingers until a week ago," Rowe said.

The position's salary was listed as $52,655 prorated.

The recommendation by Dwyer and class guidelines were enough to convince the board to approve the appointment, as the personnel items were approved, 4-1. The lone no vote, by Gilbert, was actually directed toward the extracurricular appointments under personnel, and not the elementary position.