Oxford schools add new positions, restore old ones

By Steev Riccardo

Oxford – The Oxford School Committee voted 3-2 to approve a host of new positions at its schools as well as restore two positions at th high school for the fall, at its bi-monthly meeting Monday, June 25.

The following is a list of the restored and new positions.

Restored Positions

Girls physical education teacher-Oxford High School
Foreign language teacher-Oxford High School
Grade 3 teacher-Clara Barton

New positions
Dean of students/part-time assistant director- Oxford High School

In-school suspension coordinator-Oxford High School

Special education team chairperson-District wide

Special education teacher-Clara Barton/Oxford Middle School

Part time literacy coach (2)-Clara Barton/Chaffee School

Superintendent of Schools Allen Himmelberger said “the new positions that we were able are to create are due to increased Chapter 70 funding from the State.” 

Public school budgets are made up of several components, one being the local share, which is primarily funded through property tax, the state share, which is funded primarily through Chapter 70, the chief mechanism to fund individual cities’ and towns’ public education. The third is the federal component.

“For some towns, Chapter 70 provides the majority of the funding for public education, and that is the case in Oxford,” said Himmelberger. Because we have an inflation factor this year that is substantial and because we have an increase in our low income students, the formula did increase for us for Chapter 70.”

Himmelberger said that he was very pleased that the school committee approved the restoration of the three positions that were cut the last few years.

He also commented on the dean of students and in-school suspension positions. “We feel strongly that those two positions are needed to improve the attendance, the behavior, the conduct, and the academics of some of our at risk students. For that reason those positions are critical to our mission for next year.” 

The part time literacy positions are being put in place to work with students who are behind in small group settings.

School committee member Susan Rivelli expressed concerns that the Oxford Middle School does not currently have music and art programs in place and hopes to see this addressed at some point in the future.  Himmelberger agreed and said “we are challenged at the middle school to add more arts and more electives.”

The Oxford School Committee will meet again on July 9 at Oxford High School in the community room.

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