WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Lanesborough Elementary School is looking to add staffing for the 2022-23 school year, though one of the increases may not be a permanent addition.

 

Principal Nolan Pratt was before the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee recently to lay out the budget requests that have been approved by Lanesborough Elementary's School Council.

 

That body is recommending the fiscal 2023 budget include space to hire an additional full-time teacher and move an occupational therapist position from part-time to full-time status. The council also is seeking funds to make technological upgrades in five classrooms at Lanesborough.

 

The additional full-time teacher is needed to address a particularly large class at the elementary school, the rising second-graders, Pratt explained.

 

The school anticipates 17 pupils in Grade 2 next year, which normally would make the class a good candidate to be combined in one classroom, Pratt said. But there are unique features this class, including five pupils currently on individualized education plans or 504 plans for medical accommodation and another four expected to need individual education plans or 504s.

 

"I think this is all complicated by the fact that the upcoming second grade lost the last bit of pre-K [in March 2020], had a really wonky kindergarten year and is slowly figuring out school in Grade 1," Pratt said.

 

"The long-term plan is to keep the class separate and, over time, we have retirements in the pipeline. And we would continue to examine if that class needs to be different sections."

 

School Committee member Julia Bowen asked Pratt if there is a point at which a classroom becomes too small for effective instruction. Pratt said he would be concerned with five or fewer students in a first grade classroom but he believes the "energy is there" in the small rooms projected for 2022-23.

 

The other staffing change requested is for Lanesborough Elementary's occupational therapist, who currently has more than enough demand for the .6 full-time equivalent position currently in the budget.

 

"Right now a .6, and she sees 28 students over a three-day period," Pratt said. "Every minute of those three days is packed with IEP needs. By extending this to 1.0, she'll be able to push into the kindergarten and pre-K class."

 

The third budget request from the School Council involves adding overhead projectors to five classrooms at the Lanesborough school.

 

Pratt said the overhead devices have been proven to increase student engagement in the classroom due to the ease of allowing students to participate at the white board in front of the class. The units also eliminate the need to have a projector cart eating up space in the classroom.

 

Adding overhead units to five rooms will bring the total number of rooms with the devices to nine. School Committee member Steven Miller asked whether it made sense to just outfit all the classrooms at once and take a short-term fiscal hit rather than phase in the upgrade over a period of years.

 

"I think the pace at which we're rolling it out is appropriate because it takes a while for teachers to ramp up with new technology," Pratt said. "We don't want to dump it in there and expect them to be comfortable."

 

Pratt added that the gradual rollout allows early adopting teachers to train others in the technology before it is brought into their classrooms.

 

It other business last week, School Committee discussed the ongoing question of what, if anything, to do with the athletic fields at the middle/high school and heard a report from Superintendent Jason McCandless about his goals for the coming year.

 

It also heard an update about COVID-19 numbers in the school district.

 

Business Manager Joe Bergeron reported that 77 percent of students and 90 percent of staff at Mount Greylock have submitted documentation that they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, and vaccination rates among pupils at the elementary school are on the rise since their age group became eligible for vaccines this fall.

 

School Committee member Jose Constantine asked Bergeron to elaborate on one data point he provided: that just 83 percent of staff at Williamstown Elementary School is confirmed to be vaccinated.

 

"Yes, we continue to make every effort we can to encourage vaccinations," Bergeron said. "Having those numbers at 100 percent for all three schools should be the goal. There are a few staff who, I think, have just not submitted documentation. I'm not sure about the remainder. It is a subject of concern and conversation frequently."

 

Per the agreement with the district's union, any staff members who are not vaccinated need to participate in a weekly testing program.