As of Monday, 35 new staff members had joined the Winthrop Public Schools, with several positions still to be filled as the schools opened for students this week.
“Those are 35 new people coming into the district who have joined us since last year,” said Superintendent of Schools Lisa Howard at Monday night’s school committee meeting.
The list of new hires includes a mix of teachers, AP tutors, educational support professionals, the pupil personnel services director, custodians, and a world language teacher.
“That’s a lot of new onboarding of people and getting to know people, but we’re excited for the backgrounds of these folks who are coming to join us,” said Howard.
The superintendent said there were also several resignations since the previous school committee meeting, including an elementary teacher who was on leave last year, two other elementary teachers, a middle and high school custodian, and an occupational therapist.
“Those positions have been posted,” said Howard. “The postings are for the K-2 reading specialist, Gorman Fort Banks ESP, Gorman Fort Banks elementary school teacher, and an EL teacher, both at the Gorman Fort Banks and the ATC.”
Howard said even with the several open positions, the district is close to being fully staffed.
“It’s those areas of special education that are becoming a little difficult,” said Howard. “We do have a physical therapist now to join Barbara Mancini and help support those students. The occupational therapy position I believe we have … three. Unfortunately, we may have to go to an agency if we can’t find somebody because the impact of the cost of compensatory services grows every day you are not providing a service.”
Howard said she investigated the cost of an agency and was a little taken aback by the fees they charge.
“But then when I cross reference that with salary we would provide and in addition added the benefits we now pay, it sort of washes, but it looks like a much bigger number,” said Howard. “When you pay an agency, you do a contract with that agency. So at some point you’ll see the salary; if we can’t fill the position within the district, you’ll see that salary be asked to be moved out of the teachers’ salary line over to the expense line and there will be a purchase order to pay a company like Sunbelt … or one of those agencies.”