Bennington board approves added specialists and restores sixth-grade position

The Bennington Public Schools Board of Education on March 9 approved five curriculum and personnel proposals that add part‑time specialists at Anchor Point and restore a sixth‑grade teacher at Bennington Middle School.

The board approved proposals 29, 30, 31, 33 and 21, which the curriculum committee said would add a 0.2 art position, a 0.2 music position, a 0.3 PE position, a 0.2 media specialist and reinstate a sixth‑grade teacher position that had been eliminated last year. The committee reported the combined cost, including curriculum adjustments, is $146,830 and that funding is available pending final 2026–27 budget approval.

“By adding these staffing pieces we can accommodate growing student numbers at Anchor Point and restore planning and team time at the middle school,” the curriculum committee lead said during the discussion. Board members discussed the staffing strategy and committee review process before taking the vote. The motion passed by roll call.

District staff told the board the hires primarily come from increasing hours for existing part‑time employees, which reduced the incremental cost because the district already carries insurance for those employees. The administration said the approvals are contingent on the district’s finalized budget for 2026–27.

The board did not adopt specific candidate names at the meeting; administration said any hiring steps would follow standard HR processes and would be reported back to the board.

The curriculum committee noted these changes are part of broader work on schedules and exploratory offerings in middle school; directors earlier in the meeting described scheduling adjustments designed to preserve exploratory classes and to experiment with quarter‑based grading to increase assessment opportunities for students.