Superintendent to Consider Additional Kindergarten Teacher

Superintendent Kathleen Bodie said she'll review staffing at the end of this week to see if she can hire an additional kindergarten teacher at Brackett Elementary School without seeking the approval of the School Committee.

Last week, the committee denied a request from Bodie, 2-2, to add a fourth kindergarten teacher at Brackett in order to reduce class sizes.

However, at Tuesday's budget subcommittee meeting, Bodie said she can add the position, without committee approval, if she can fund it through money already allocated to staffing. Bodie's initial request used $10,000 in Bridge the Gap money to help fund the position.

At the subcommittee meeting, before Bodie spoke, a handful of parents asked committee members to schedule a special meeting in order to reverse last week's decision. Leba Heigham, the subcommittee's chairwoman, said that was impossible, as the committee will not have a quorum of members available until after the start of the school year. The meeting got fairly heated when Heigham tried to end public participation in order to move on and parents kept asking questions.

"We all have children in the schools," Heigham said. "I understand your passions and frustrations."

Heigham supported Bodie's request last week, as did Kirsi Allison-Ampe, another member of the budget subcommittee. Jeff Thielman, the only other committee member in attendance Tuesday, abstained from last week's vote, as he has a child entering kindergarten at Brackett.

Committee chairman Joseph Curro Jr. and member Judson Pierce voted down last week's motion, citing the district's financial uncertainty, while Cindy Starks and Joseph Curran were absent from the special meeting due to long-standing plans, according to Heigham.

Bodie's initial request came directly after a lengthy discussion on the district's $1.5 million deficit to close fiscal year 2010.

Bodie said she will also continue to monitor kindergarten numbers at Brackett, which have a tendency to change.

"We now have 27, 27 and 26 students (in each class)," Bodie said, "which are clearly above the guidelines in Arlington and the state, of 25. Having said that, [the classes] are legal."

The district's six other elementary schools have projected kindergarten class sizes between 21 and 23 students.

The first day of kindergarten is Monday, September 13.