DR. JOHN BARRY
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Committee approved two measures related to preschool last night.
One unanimous vote allowed for the creation of a preschool report card for the coming school year, and the second approved continuing a fourth preschool class, also for the fall.
Woodland Elementary School Assistant Principal John Rogers told the committee that the proposed preschool report card is aligned with the core curriculum.
Superintendent Dr. John Barry asked about the benefits of a preschool report card.
“It would speak volumes to parents,” said Rogers. “It would give them a real insight, and this is far superior to the report cards in neighboring towns, including Longmeadow, Agawam and Amherst.”
Rogers proposed two versions of the report card, one for children age three and another for older preschool students entering kindergarten the following year. Rogers said there is a definite distinction between first-year preschoolers and those ready for kindergarten.
Special Education Director Noell Somers spoke to the committee about the need for continuing a fourth preschool classroom this fall. Somers said there was an influx of referrals for students with special needs, mainly Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), this past winter and the fourth class was added. She said there is a continued need projected for the fall.
“In February we had an increase in preschool referrals,” said Somers. “Normally, we have three half-time preschool classes with each able to accommodate up to seven special ed. students, to total 21. In February we went over 21 and ended the year with 27 (special education students in preschool).”
Somers said she projects at least 23 special education students in preschool this coming year. To accommodate them, she requested, and was approved for, the addition of a .5 teacher and a .5 paraprofessional.
While the positions needed are not too costly, Barry said the district will look for grant opportunities so it does not have to find funds in the already tight budget.
“We’re going to be scraping the bottom of the grant barrel to pay for this,” he said.
Somers said most of the students are being referred from the Westfield Infant Toddler program, which is Southwick’s early intervention service provider. She added that the number of students with ASD has increased dramatically over the years.
“When I started, there were eight kids with autism and now we have 39,” she said.
“And this is not specific to Southwick-Tolland, it is happening everywhere,” said Barry.
Somers noted that some of the funding, about $12,000, for the two half-time positions would come from tuition from preschool peers.
