Middle School Option on the Table

GLOVER - How to manage the teacher shortage both in the short and long term was the topic of discussion Monday evening at the Lake Region Union Elementary Middle School District (LRUEMSD) meeting. The conversation started last week when Orleans Central Supervisory Union Superintendent Penny Chamberlin hosted a community forum to address staff shortages, especially at the middle school level at the Irasburg Village School (IVS).

The first order of business was for the school board members to summarize the key findings gleaned from community input.

The general consensus is the need to support teachers and support staff, keep students together, address student behavior issues, and ensure students are mentally and emotionally prepared for learning.

“We came together for a common cause,” board member Debbie Brunelle said of the community forum. “A lot of issues involving the state teacher gap are not isolated to our district.”

The questions before the school board are what steps do they need to take to resolve the immediate crisis in Irasburg, and what are the long term solutions to the chronic teacher shortage.

Currently a teacher (former school board member Dan Demaine), has been hired to teach middle school math at IVS on an emergency license. The position is still being advertised and the board hired Demaine part time with the stipulation that if a licensed teacher is hired Demaine’s contract can be terminated.

Chamberlin broached the middle school option as a long term solution. She said the board should consider the pros and cons of the options to resolve the middle school crisis long term.

The feedback from the community forum strongly favored keeping entire classes together so if the school board authorizes IVS seventh and eighth grade students to be transferred to other schools, they must remain together in a single cohort.

“Keep them together,” Chamberlin said. “That came through loud and clear.”

The problem is the domino effect. Because all schools in the district have healthy enrollment numbers, students at other grade levels may have to be transported to another school to accommodate the cohort from Irasburg.

That raised the question whether displacing other students is fair.

Board member Amanda Ticehurst said transportation will be an issue if students are going to be enrolled in schools outside their home town. Chamberlin is in communication with Butlers Bus Service about next year’s transportation needs.

This will have a potential impact on what we do next,” Chamberlin said of the board’s decision. “Obviously there’s the budget process.”

Chamberlin urged the board to move swiftly outlining the timetable they are up against. The fiscal year 2024 budget must be finalized and warned no later than January 16th. The tax impact formula spreadsheet from the state will be published around December 20th. A very preliminary budget suggests an increase between 10 and 14 percent.

Teacher contracts must be issued on or before April 1st and are due by April 30th. Teachers can be granted a two week extension so some contracts may not be signed and returned until May 12, leaving little time to hire replacements.

Teacher contract negotiations start in mid December of 2023. Any changes to a teacher’s current status, responsibilities, and assignments must be addressed by June 1, 2023.

“The current staff is extremely stressed, overwhelmed, and may walk out,” Chamberlin said, urging the board to take action. If the board doesn’t have a clear vision for the balance of the school year and next year by this Christmas vacation, staff may resign, she warned.

“We were at the tipping point where we didn’t have enough staff to open,” Chamberlin reminded the board of the beginning of the school year. “In all reality, if four teachers step away (throughout the district) it will be very difficult to keep the door open.”

Chamberlin forecasts 50 to 60 teachers and other staff may turnover by the end of the school year, June 30. To stop the exodus, the board should consider starting a middle school next fall.

The administration must address contracts, transportation, licensure, determine which students will be displaced if a middle school is created, and what school will they be enrolled into.

“We need to think about timelines,” Chamberlin said.

The board’s decision will be impactful and drastic, a person in attendance stated. The longer teachers have to wait for the board’s decision the greater the unknown. No action may be reason enough for teachers to resign.

It is doubtful the OCSU can fully staff teaching positions as in the current model. Chamberlin said years ago advertising a position could draw 30 to 40 candidates. Today, there may be only one.

“I’m concerned the decision will be rushed,” parent Molly Veysey said. “I’m concerned we won’t have enough time to decide about a consolidated middle school, the facilities, etc.”

The administration will move forward with two options. In the short term maintain the status quo at IVS with Demaine teaching math unless a full time teacher is hired. The alternative is to move middle school students at IVS by cohort to other schools.

The administration will also gather information necessary for the school board to consider a middle school option starting next school year.