LEWISTON — To keep pace with a growing number of special education students, the School Committee on Monday night approved hiring more staff.
The committee voted to authorize $70,000 to hire a special education teacher and educational technician at Geiger Elementary School, and a special education teacher at Montello Elementary School.
The cost is $70,000 for three positions because it will only be for remainder of this school year, Webster said.
Special Education Director Pamela Emery told committee members that several special ed classes at two schools are at or above capacity.
Since school began this fall, Lewiston has seen 49 new special education students move into the system and 29 move out. There are also 59 new referrals for students who may need special education services.
“Most of those referrals have turned into students moved into special ed programs,” Emery said.
The caseload for special ed classes at Geiger and Montello is at or above capacity, Emery said. “There’s an extreme need at both of those schools,” she said.
Committee Chairwoman Linda Scott asked principals of both schools if they have the classroom space.
Geiger Principal Cindy Gish said she and other staff walked around the building Wednesday to see “if there was space that we hadn’t noticed yet.” There was not; the plan is to use the extra staff by sharing space with another special ed teacher who has a large space, Gish said.
Montello Principal Jim Cliffe said he wasn’t sure where the new teacher would go, but would likely share space. The new teacher would provide more support for students, which could enable some students to spend time in regular classes, Cliffe said.
In August, the School Committee approved hiring seven special education techs that were not in the budget approved last spring. The seven were to be assigned at Geiger, McMahon, Montello and Longley elementary schools and one-on-one with students recently moved to Lewiston with high needs, Special Education Director Emery said then.
The trend will continue, Scott predicted.
She works at Sandcastles, which provides preschool special education.
“We’re full all the time,” she said, and children ages 3 to 5 are on waiting lists. “They’re coming to the schools. It’s continuing every year to be more and more. This is definitely going to be a subject that’s not going away any time soon.”
Lewiston will receive more state money for more students, but there is a lag time.
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