6/17/11 East Holmes will see combined class at Mount Hope for 2011 - 2012 year

  • By Nick Sabo
  • June 17, 2011
  • 270
                        
SUMMARY: Second shared class to go back to single grade in elementary classroom Mount Hope Elementary will see two grades in the same classroom again next year and students from another shared class will split half into junior high and return half to a single classroom. The East Holmes Board of Education Thursday June 16 approved recommendations by Superintendent Joe Wengerd to move the 2010 - 2011 shared grades 2/3 class into a shared grades 3/4 for 2011 - 2012. There are 27 students between the two grades. The move was approved along with other measures for the 2011 - 2012 school year that juggle the “right people...at the right cost” while maintaining a high standard of education, Wengerd said. The 2/3 class at Mount Hope was combined last year, as well as a 5/6 class. The move saved the district by not having to hire two new teachers last year. It’s a strategy Wengerd has used to keep from letting teachers go, moving educators into new positions as their colleagues retire. The 12 sixth grade students in the 5/6 class will move into the regular rotation of Hiland Middle School for seventh grade. The 25 fifth grade students will have a classroom to themselves for their sixth grade year. Wengerd said the combined classes also help keep buildings open. “We’re trying to avoid having additional classrooms,” Wengerd said. “We’d rather not do combination classes. Historically in East Holmes we’ve had combination classrooms but we haven’t done that for ten or 15 years. With the way things are, we’re having to get into it again.” The changes approved Thursday were as follows: Eliminate the .67 time language arts position at Hiland Change of positions from grades 5/6 at Mount Hope to grades 7/8 language arts position. Change grade 2/3 position at Mount Hope to grade 2. Change grade 3 to grade 3/4 at Mount Hope. Eliminate a grade 3 section at Berlin and add an additional grade 2 section at Berlin Elementary. Eliminate .5 Kindergarten at Berlin. Transfer a special education aide position at Walnut Creek (6 hours/day) to the Holmes County Training Center (6.25 hours/day). The following personnel transfers were approved: Jane Mast, Title I at Chestnut Ridge to Winesburg grade 2 Melissa Diener, language arts at Hiland to grade 7/8 language arts at Mount Hope (.67 time) Shelly Mathias from grades 2/3 to grade 2 at Mount Hope Miriam Kratzer from grade 4 to grades 3/4 at Mount Hope Jilisa Raber from grade 3 to grade 2 at Berlin Daren Maurer from Title I at Wise to Title I at Flat Ridge Pam St. John from 1.0 Kindergarten at Berlin to .5 Kindergarten at Berlin and .5 Kindergarten at Mount Hope Betty Schlabach from special education aide at Walnut Creek to special education aide at Berlin Reduction of contract for Tara Herman from 1.0 to .5 Title I at Walnut Creek


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load