THS Positions Being Proposed as Part of Budget Adjustments

School officials are proposing to add a full-time and half-time teacher to the Tolland High School Roster. 

It is the final phase of a three-part set of adjustments to the $36,059,250 school system budget. The adjustments total $867,380 and fit into the  parameters of the approved bottom line for the 2013-14 fiscal year. 

In a memo to Board of Education members, Superintendent of Schools William Guzman said the positions will be presented at the June 26 school board meeting. 

A 1.0-equivalent computer education teacher and a .50 technology education teacher that had been eliminated as part of the superintendent's request to the Town Council. 

Guzman offered this explanation of staffing adjustments in his memo: 

• "Funding for the reinstatement of the 1.0 FTE Computer Education position is possible due to the reduction of the .50 FTE Family and Consumer Science and .50  FTE Math position." 

• "Funding for the .50 FTE Technology Education position is possible due to savings as a result of custodial and clerical retirements and certified staff resignations." 

• "Initial decisions regarding reductions in personnel (1 full-time English teacher, 1 full-time computer teacher, ½ technology education teacher) were made based on an analysis of student enrollment in various courses during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years. Keeping in mind that course registrations were not completed for the 2013-14 school year until approximately the middle of May, it has become necessary to revise those decisions. Specifically, an increase in course requests for the next school year in certain departments is the major factor for the change."

• "At this time, 104 students have enrolled in six total sections of the following four courses: Introduction to Computers, Computer Programming 1, Computer Programming 2, and Video Production, Broadcasting, and Journalism. This represents a 35 percent increase in the course enrollments for the Computer Science department. We are especially excited to be offering Computer Programming 2 for the first time since the 2006-07 school year."

• "A retirement in the Mathematics department has allowed for some shifting in personnel. Although classes in Algebra and Geometry next year will be larger when compared to this year, we were able to reduce a full-time mathematics teacher to a halftime position without losing any courses. This position was added two years ago as a part of the Education Jobs Fund grant. This reduction will allow THS to retain one-half of the Computer position."

• "In the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) department, 32 students are presently enrolled in two sections of Clothing and Fashion. For the 2013-14 school year, only 16 students initially requested this course. Although there was an opportunity to add more Child Development class at the time of initial requests, the decision was made to reduce a full-time FCS teacher to restore one-half of the Computer position."

• "A reduction in the Technical Education department has created full sections in all  courses except Drafting. The maximum class in many of these courses is smaller due to safety reasons and the fact that they are activity-based courses. Although these courses were not full after initial course requests were submitted, students with conflicts or students who requested courses which were over-enrolled selected the courses available in the Technical Education department. Thus, this is the reason why they are now full. Adding back the .50 FTE in personnel in this department will allow THS to add one section of Introduction to Engineering Design and Technology I."