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Math department chair warns class disappears without replacement of retiring teacher
Summary
Tom Wall, math department chair, urged the board to fill a retiring 8th-grade math position to preserve an intermediate algebra course, Hilbert College dual-enrollment flexibility and learning-lab support for struggling students; he warned up to 8–10 students could fail the accelerated one-year course without extra support.
Tom Wall, math department chair, addressed the board during public comment asking the district to find funding to fill an 8th-grade math teacher vacancy created by a retirement that the district did not plan to replace.
"Without filling this position right now in our schedule, this class simply doesn't exist," Wall said, explaining that the intermediate algebra bridge class provides college- and SAT-preparation and a pathway to Algebra II. He said losing the position would reduce scheduling flexibility for students and remove learning-lab coverage that provides additional support during lunch periods.
Wall urged the board to consider how the staffing cut would affect both lower-level students (who may struggle without targeted interventions) and high-achieving students who use dual-enrollment options with Hilbert College. He asked the board to explore options to maintain the position while the district finalizes staffing given retirements and the recently adopted budget.
