Third Grade Classroom to be Added at Pell School

A new third grade classroom with about 15 students will be added at Pell Elementary School after the district confirmed the overage of four students.

Newport Public Schools Superintendent Colleen Burns-Jermain said that the school year started with seven third grade classrooms and the district “waited to open an eighth class just in case all of the students that had registered did not show up and attend school.”

The issue of class sizes in Newport has become a central issue dividing teachers and the district and School Committee. The Teachers Alliance of Newport, the union that represents Newport teachers, rejected the committee’s latest contract offer and the bargaining is headed to arbitration.

Jermain said in a statement that she hopes that the new classroom will move negotiations forward and ease some of the acrimony that has been building for months.

The decision comes after last Wednesday;s heated School Committee meeting during which the committee apparently forgot to put a public comment period on the agenda, upsetting a group of teachers who came to press for the need for a new classroom.

The committee ultimately decided to take no action, following the Jermain’s then-recommendation to wait and see.

In her statement, Jermain said that there were only two overages as of Tuesday this past week and the district was monitoring the situation. On Wednesday and Thursday respectively, two students who were on the roster but had not shown up yet did show up, bringing the total tally to 172 students.

“On Thursday afternoon of that same day, after requesting again if any teachers would consider taking an extra student and be compensated, the district was notified again that was not possible by the union,” Jermain said. “After meeting with the Pell leadership team on Thursday afternoon, I directed the team to open the eighth grade three per the contract, urging of some committee members, and the advice of our attorney. A one year grade three position will be added to the staffing.”

Parents were notified on Friday of the new classroom.

Kim Hassan will teach the class. For the parents who want their children in a smaller class, Jermain said she hopes that “this will help them in making the decision.”

If you’re interested in the class, contact Kim Behan at kimberlybehan@npsri.net

Teachers have been calling for smaller classrooms and brought the issue to the School Committee at last week’s meeting, though there was no public comment period.

Teachers have been working without a new contract since Aug. 31 of 2014.

The maximum class size is 24 students per classroom.