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New teachers to ease crowding
By SUSAN THURSTON
© St. Petersburg Times, NEW TAMPA -- Four of the five elementary schools in New Tampa will add teachers to ease crowding in classrooms. The school district determined this week that every primary school except Hunter's Green Elementary needs more teachers to handle the community's growing student population. "It's harder to predict when you have these extreme growth areas," said Cathy Valdes, area director with Hillsborough County schools. "The only thing that we can predict is that it will grow." Lawton Chiles Elementary, which opened this year, will get the most, with five. Pride Elementary will get two, and Tampa Palms and Clark will each get one. The new teachers are expected to start Sept. 5. Individual schools will decide which grades to place them in, although Tampa Palms and Pride are slated for new kindergarten classes. Chiles likely will add a class in every grade, first through fifth. This week, it brought in substitute teachers for the most crowded grades -- one and five -- until the permanent teachers are hired. "They couldn't wait until Sept. 5," Valdes said. "I can't have 40 kids sitting in a class." Chiles had 854 children as of the fifth day of classes. That's slightly more than expected, but below the school's 905-student capacity. The new school draws children from Tampa Palms, Clark and Pizzo elementaries. Principal Tom Dessy said the numbers came as somewhat of a surprise. More children lived within the boundaries than predicted and no one knew how many would show up until school started. Still, he said most people have been patient. They understand that all new schools need some adjustments. "My parents knew that I was on top of this," he said. "They knew I was going to move quickly on it." In adding classes, the school will use some smaller-than-average, "supplemental" classrooms in the building for the new first- and third-grade classes, Dessy said. The school has limited space because it has some sixth-graders to alleviate crowding at Benito Middle School. Next year, they will move to the middle school opening in Tampa Palms. The supplemental classrooms house 20 or 21 students, compared with a standard classroom for about 28 students. After the changes, most classes will have 25 to 30 students, although more children are expected throughout the year as new apartments and homes go up. Across Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa Palms elementary reported the smallest student body in the school's 13 years. Enrollment was at 735 the second week, down from 1,127 last year. "It's delightful," principal Betty Lou Turner said. "I have four students sitting at a lunchroom table." At one point, the school had 21 portable classrooms to accommodate the students. This year, all of them are in the main building. "I think everyone was excited about it," said Tricia Cardoso, PTA president. "I had three years out there. I hated it. Every afternoon I had to run out there with an umbrella and pray that I didn't get struck by lightning." - Susan Thurston can be reached at (813) 226-3463.
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From the Times |
