Teacher's aides are added
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — The two elementary schools in the Slippery Rock School District will each get a new teacher’s aide.
The school board on Monday voted 7-1, with Greg Angerett voting no, to have an aide for kindergarten classes at Slippery Rock Elementary School and a floating aide that would concentrate on second grade classes at Moraine Elementary School.
Board member Diana Wolak initially wanted to hire a fourth kindergarten teacher for Slippery Rock because its kindergarten classes were averaging 26 students, which she felt was too high.
Superintendent Kathy Nogay noted the second grade classes at Moraine average more than 26 students.
Nogay also noted that the district does not get solid enrollment numbers until October. Additionally, the process to hire a new teacher takes several days, meaning that school would start before the teacher started, leading to classes changing after school starts.
Board member Polly Shaw said it would be nice to have solid numbers, but kindergarten students will get attached to their teachers and classmates, making for a difficult transition.
Board member Kirby Lotz said, rather than have students change classrooms, he liked the idea of hiring aides. Wolak initially did not like this idea.
“We need to have another teacher,” Wolak said.
However, a vote to add both a kindergarten teacher and second grade teacher, as well as a vote to eliminate a fifth-grade teacher and create a kindergarten teacher at Slippery Rock failed. This led to the vote to add the aides.
