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Quakertown administrators outline $760,000 in salary-and-benefit savings and class-size adjustments
Summary
Administrators told the board they identified about $760,000 in staffing savings through retirements, schedule changes and not replacing some positions; they proposed increasing some elementary sections to 25 students and noted program changes such as reducing German and recruiting for American Sign Language.
District administrators told the board on April 14 that they found roughly $760,000 in salary-and-benefit savings since the April 2 workshop, largely from retirements and schedule adjustments.
Dr. Hoffman explained the staffing changes as a combination of retirements, reassignments and schedule redesigns. She said two fifth-grade teachers’ sections would be combined — “take the 75 students that we have in fifth grade and make those 3 sections instead of 4,” producing sections averaging about 25 students — and that high-school scheduling and dual certifications will be used to absorb some secondary retirements. Dr. Hoffman also noted two ELA retirements at the high school and recommended covering that need with 1.5 positions through internal reassignments where possible.
Administrators described other program impacts: the German language program at the high school may be discontinued because enrollment has been low, while the district has posted a vacancy for a teacher certified in American Sign Language and English to respond to renewed student interest. The district also cited equipment-replacement and vehicle delays and other reductions in facilities accounts as part of the $1.8 million aggregate expenditure decreases Young summarized earlier.
Board members asked specifically what the savings mean for student programming. Mr. Reimer said he was “not a fan” of increasing section size to 25 in the example cited; other members and administrators said 25 is within the district’s historical averages for upper elementary grades and that the district prioritizes smaller class sizes in kindergarten through second grade. Dr. Hoffman said the district uses target capacity numbers (for planning) of 26 for grades 4–5, 25 for grades 2–3 and 22 for kindergarten and grade 1, and that a seven-year average for fifth grade has been about 24 students.
Administrators emphasized that the staffing reductions were identified after consulting principals and completing preliminary master schedules; they characterized the current numbers as a best-case, still-fluid scenario and cautioned they will finalize staffing once course selections and final enrollment are complete. No formal personnel actions were taken at the workshop.
