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Parent urges Wayne Township board to add aides as James Fallon fourth‑grade classes reach 28–29 students
Summary
At a Sept. 25 Wayne Township Board of Education meeting, parent Chrissy Selentakis urged the district to hire instructional aides for overcrowded fourth‑grade classes at James Fallon School (two classes of 29 students, one of 28). Superintendent Citadino said the district is monitoring performance but said adding positions midyear would require budget reallocation.
Chrissy Selentakis, a James Fallon parent, told the Wayne Township Board of Education on Sept. 25 that class sizes in two fourth‑grade sections have reached 29 students and a third has 28, and that existing paraprofessionals in those rooms are assigned to students with Individualized Education Programs and cannot reasonably support the entire class.
"We have 29 students in 2 of the classes and 28 students in 1 of the classes," Selentakis said. She said the two full‑time paraprofessionals referenced by the district are IEP aides and "by law, their role is primarily to support those students," so other children in the classroom are not getting additional adult support.
Selentakis asked the board whether the district would consider hiring additional aides for the three classrooms, suggesting one instructional aide assigned to each class or two part‑time aides or long‑term substitutes if full‑time hires are not possible.
Superintendent Citadino responded that the district monitors classrooms using benchmark assessments and school leadership reporting. "We look there to see how the students are performing as compared to past performances by the same students," he said, adding that those benchmarks are one of the sources the district uses to judge whether additional supports are needed.
Citadino said hiring additional staff midyear is constrained by how school district revenue is set and budgeted. "If it gets to the point that we need additional supports in that area, we will come to you, and we'll come to you with a plan on where we would get the money, those funds, from as well," he said, explaining that adding positions typically requires identifying offsetting reductions or new revenue because district revenue is effectively capped.
The board did not announce an immediate change to staffing at James Fallon during the meeting. Citadino said the district would continue monitoring performance and would present a funding plan if new positions were needed.
Background: Selentakis and other parents said they have exchanged multiple emails (including a letter signed by about 49 families) requesting additional classroom supports; the board noted the district is following benchmark data and school leadership reports as part of that monitoring process.
What happens next: The board did not vote on new hires during the Sept. 25 meeting. Citadino said the district would return to the board with a plan if it determines additional positions are necessary and identifies funding sources.
