Moline teachers urge board to hire additional PE teacher to reduce oversized classes

At the May 27 Board of Education meeting, three Moline High School physical‑education staff members urged the board to hire an additional PE teacher so classes do not exceed 45 students. Allen Garcia, department chair for physical education, said enrollment is returning to pre‑COVID levels of “anywhere from 50 to 50 5 students” and that staffing has not kept pace.

The request focused on safety and instructional quality. "These students are not seen. There is no teacher student relationship," Garcia said, describing multiple access points in the facility and saying the department documented seven physical fights this year. He also noted classes that mix students with individualized education plans (IEPs) and 504 plans and said teachers are often given no paraeducator support.

"No matter how hard I try, some slip through," said Tracy Sanemore, a teacher who develops the Mind and Body course, describing social and emotional needs she sees in large classes. "These aren't just numbers. They are young people silently asking, do you see me, and do I matter here?" Sanemore said the larger classes make it harder to build meaningful relationships and to support students coping with trauma or mental‑health issues.

Mike Morrison, head football coach and a PE teacher, told the board smaller classes make it easier to form the student relationships he and other teachers value. "That additional teacher, I think, is is is paramount for us," Morrison said, adding that reduced class sizes would ease teacher stress and help students who otherwise get "lost in the cracks."

Presenters gave examples of curricular activities that they said would be compromised if class sizes return to 50–55: golf and bowling field trips, lifeguard certification courses (capped at 20–25 students), weight‑room instruction and unit‑based activities such as pickleball and badminton that are designed for smaller groups. Garcia said he had surveyed comparable schools and found their PE caps typically range from 35 to 40 students.

Garcia asked the board to hire one additional PE teacher and to cap most PE sections at 45 students, with lower caps where program needs justify it. He also asked the board to consider the higher free‑and‑reduced‑price meal rate in the district when weighing staffing needs, saying those students rely on school resources.

The remarks occurred during the public‑comment portion of the meeting; no formal board action on staffing was taken that night and no motion to hire appeared in the meeting record.