Perkiomen Valley parent, district paraprofessional, urges board not to cut gifted-teacher positions

Carrie Boniker, who introduced herself as a Perkiomen Township resident and a substitute paraprofessional employed by the district, addressed the board during public comment to oppose a staffing change she said would reduce middle-school gifted support to a single teacher serving two schools on alternating days.

Boniker told the board she and families she spoke with are concerned the proposed model would have “one teacher to serve the gifted program at two middle schools which are seven miles apart, 20 to 30 minutes apart on alternating cycle days,” and that the teacher “is yet to be named.” She said that, in her view, the program’s earlier elementary success owed in part to students being pulled out for consecutive cycle days and warned that alternating-day coverage could fail to meet gifted learners’ needs.

Boniker also emphasized a technical distinction she said was important for board consideration: “a gifted learner is a complex thinker, not necessarily a high achiever,” and she cautioned that using a single teacher to also cover high achievers and gifted learners on alternating days may not meet the needs of true gifted students.

She said she had emailed board members and district administrators before the meeting but had not received responses, and she closed by urging the board to reconsider eliminating the current position and to avoid implementing an unfamiliar program without named staff and evidence of efficacy.

The transcript records the comment but does not include a formal response from the board or administration on the record during that segment.