Mathews board OKs teacher layoff

By Jordan Cohen

The superintendent offered hope that the teacher could be recalled.

VIENNA — A group of Mathews elementary school teachers pleaded with the board of education Wednesday not to lay off a third-grade instructor.

Superintendent Lee Seiple, citing low kindergarten registration for next semester, said he is sympathetic but has no other option.

“As of last Friday, they [new registrations] weren’t there, and I have to react to what I know for the April board meeting,” Seiple said.

April is when boards of education generally institute layoffs, referred to as reductions in force. The board approved the layoff among its personnel decisions.

Carla Pacileo, the district’s speech and language pathologist, acknowledged the “numbers are low” for new registrants, but voiced concern about the “loss of a kindergarten section and displacement of people.

“We have 36 [kindergarten students] registered, and we should be able to get the numbers we need,” Pacileo said. “There are always late registrations, but you’ll already have displaced [teachers].”

Seiple said he knows of only 35 registrants so far.

“I always have three to five kids come in at the last minute,” said Linda Stanar, a kindergarten teacher at Currie Elementary, who also warned against consolidating classes. “Anything more than 20 in a classroom and children fall through the cracks.”

“I understand where you’re coming from, but you have to understand how difficult this is for us and the children,” said Lori Haynie, the furloughed teacher who has been with the district for two years.

Seiple offered hope that Haynie could be recalled. He said that he plans to post new openings within the district and if another teacher fills one of the slots, a position could open for Haynie.

In another item, the board approved a contract with First Place Insurance of Warren for its property and liability insurance for the 2008-09 school year. Cost of the policy is nearly $21,000.