Schools

East Penn Will Need to Hire Special Ed Teacher

State mandates about student-teacher ratios will force the district to bring another instructor on board.

Enrollment numbers in ’s special education program will force the district to hire another special education teacher, East Penn Superintendent of Schools Thomas L. Seidenberger told the school board at Monday night’s meeting.

“It’s one of my greatest concerns that has come to fruition,” Seidenberger said. “We need to hire a teacher that was not budgeted for.”

Specifically, higher enrollments in the district’s program for children with autistic spectrum disorder mean the district needs to bring another teacher on board in that area, he said.

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Board member Alan Earnshaw sought to clarify Seidenberger’s report:

“If we do have to hire a special ed teacher,” he said, “it’s because we are forced under state law to hire more. For each condition there is a ratio of students to teachers that is required.”

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