School Board Votes Not to Replace 3 Retiring Teachers

To the dismay of numerous parents, the Saucon Valley School Board voted April 10 not to replace three retiring teachers next year, including a kindergarten teacher, a fourth grade teacher and a sixth grade teacher.

However, the board voted 6-3 to replace a retiring first grade teacher and unanimously voted in favor of keeping the district's German program in place, therefore allowing a teacher to remain at full-time status.

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Fellin said she did not support cutting all of the positions, but did support not hiring another teacher for kindergarten unless enrollment increases.

"If the numbers change over the summer, I'd have no problem re-looking at this," said board vice president Susan Baxter.

As for first grade, parents in attendance at the meeting were very vocal in telling the board how not having another teacher would negatively impact those students.

urged the board to think about the first grade students.

"First grade really needs that extra class," she said. "It's a big deal. It is the first year (these students) go for a full day."

Reilly also said the classrooms might be uncomfortable with 25 or more students squeezed together.

"While I am sympathetic to what's at hand here, 25 kids to one individual is a lot," said parent Lee Ferguson before the board discussion. "Six-years-old is a crucial age. They are learning to read. Think about the impact of too many kids in one classroom."

"There is absolutely no reason at all for us to be doing this. This is just not a practical solution for us at this time," said board member Sandra Miller. "It is extremely high priority for the administration to keep this position. (Dr. Felllin) is reccomending we hire (a replacement)."

The impact of not hiring a replacement for the retiring teachers in grades four and six means class sizes will increase to about 27 students due to co-taught classrooms (classrooms with special and regular education students taught by two teachers). The co-taught classrooms will have 19-20 students and regular classrooms will have about 27 students.

The board voted 5-4 in favor of not replacing retiring teachers for grades four and six, with Sandra Miller, Sharon Stack, Lanita Lum and Charles Bartolet voting against the motion.