By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school district is moving forward with adding seven new staff positions for the 2021-22 school year.
The new positions include:
• English teacher at Hays High School
• Student support/credit retrieval position at Hays High School
• Administrative support staff person/athletic director at Hays Middle School
• Elementary music teacher
• Elementary physical education teacher
• MTSS coach
• Family and community communications outreach position
Superintendent Ron Wilson said the district planned to use federal COVID relief funds to pay for the credit retrieval position at Hays High School, MTSS coach, and a family and community communications outreach position.
The district, as well as districts across the state, are also receiving increases in state funds during the next two years as a result of the state Gannon lawsuit. Wilson said some of these funds would be used to pay for the other added positions.
"We are trying to build better programs — better opportunities for our students inside our district," Wilson said.
HHS has had recent increases in enrollment, which means English class sizes have increased. The average is 25.5 students. Adding another teacher would allow HHS to decrease its class sizes.
The credit retrieval class, which would be offered during the regular school day, would help students, who may be at risk of dropping out or not graduating, complete a failed course.
The MTSS coach would help implement MTSS, which is system aimed at keeping students from falling behind in their studies.
"I think when we talk about being a champion for all kids, this is the step we have to make," Wilson said of the MTSS coach.
Wilson said especially coming off of COVID, students may have gaps in their learning.
"This is really going to identify those gaps and identify things we can do quickly to address those gaps," he said.
Board members noted some of the positions that were being added had been positions that had existed in the past, but had been eliminated because of declining enrollment and budget cuts.
The district will be recruiting for the positions immediately. The board will approve the individual hires at a later date.
Administration said future staffing requests could include a HHS family and consumer science teacher, HHS health/PE teacher, HHS welding/woods teacher, HMS full-time vocal music teacher and an additional elementary librarian.