Roanoke schools ponder hiring more teachers

Roanoke City Schools Superintendent Chuck Marcum asked for direction from the school board on whether to hire teachers to keep the pupil/teacher ratio at a manageable level or wait to see if there will be more student registrations.

For planning purposes the system needs students to quickly register so teachers can be added if needed, but there is also are waiting lists in some grades for non-Roanoke residents.

With all benefits, a beginning teacher can cost the system an estimated $50,000 so he is delaying the hiring. He told board members he had hoped to have more personnel recommendations to act on but he is in a holding pattern at present.

The board did approve hiring Keith Hanner to teach 8th grade social studies, along with some coaching duties.

Present student registrations at Knight-Enloe Elementary School are kindergarten-112 students; first grade-120; second grade 129 and third grade-108. At Handley Middle School the numbers are fourth grade-119; fifth grade-104; sixth grade-139; seventh grade-130 and eighth grade-131. From kindergarten with a 14 student-to-teacher ratio the numbers climb to an about 28 students-to-one teacher ratio in the 6th grade.

Marcum said considerations are the budget and staffing levels. KES staffing levels right now are good, below what the state requests, but students are registering daily and he is undecided about adding a teacher to the eight at KES or holding back to add either Brittney Bailey or Alisha Martin at HMS to improve the ratio. Right now the numbers don’t justify an additional teacher, he said.

But the 6th grade at HMS does. The state cap is 26 students so that number exceeds the proposed level if they all show up. This is the biggest class they have had since he has been here, he said. He does not want to exceed the cap because it lessens the effectiveness of the teachers.

HMS principal Greg Foster has interviewed some teachers who may still be available when school starts if they have to hire more teachers, Marcum said.

Board member Penny Bradshaw said if more students at KES come in the figures will still be low.

“If the numbers stay true we are going to have to hire more teachers,” Marcum said. Monday a lot of students were registered and some were put on a waiting list. The fifth grade is a small class following a big class, he said.

Bradshaw said some will still register after school starts. She added this is a good problem to have when the numbers are going up. Board member Tim Hall agreed, saying it shows what a good school system you have when you have people wanting to get in.

Handley High School principal Jim Holley said several registered for the 9th grade Monday and there are some on waiting a waiting list, Marcum said.

The board will consider this at the regular meeting next Tuesday.