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JAL Public Schools board introduces new staff and outlines plans for STEM, robotics and bilingual supports
Summary
The board welcomed multiple new hires across athletics, special education and elementary instruction, heard updates on enrollment and new in-school programs including LEGO League and expanded math intervention, and discussed teacher housing and recruitment.
Board President Jim Das opened the meeting by asking members to introduce themselves and review new hires across the district.
The board and administrators introduced a slate of new staff: an athletic director and head football coach (speaker 4), culinary teacher Bethany Ragland, special-education teacher and applied behavior analyst Leslie Galindo, veteran math teacher Joel Wilman and several aides and paraprofessionals. “My name is Jim Das, and I’m the board president,” Das said as introductions began. “I’m really excited to be here,” speaker 4 said of his new role as athletic director and head football coach.
Administrators emphasized the hires are intended to expand student programming and reduce class sizes. The elementary school will run a LEGO League for grades 5–7 and expand STEM and math-intervention supports; one administrator said the departmentization of grades 3–5 will let teachers work in specialty areas and reduce individual class loads. Enrollment figures presented at the meeting showed the district at about 288 students after recent registrations, a net gain of four since May.
Staffing and recruitment were tied to a district housing program for teachers. Administrators said several teaching candidates are on the housing list and that new duplex construction and teacher housing remain an important recruitment tool; a staff member noted one teacher is still waiting for housing and remains “on the list.”
The board also discussed bilingual supports: the elementary and select classrooms now have staff able to translate for Spanish-speaking families, and an ELL teacher will expand outreach and offer adult English classes in the near term.
The meeting closed the staffing section by thanking new hires and noting follow-up on assignment details. The board moved on to facilities and budget items for the rest of the agenda.
