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BRIDGEPORT — The Bridgeport Board of Education on Monday endorsed plans to move the Wilbur Cross School's seventh and eighth graders to Thomas Hooker School due to a teacher shortage.
Despite protests from parents and teachers, the school board voted 4 to 3 to give Interim Superintendent Alyshia Perrin the authority to relocate the 66 students to the pre-K-8 school on Roger Williams Road as soon as Monday.
But the board also gave Perrin the power to reverse the decision if administrators manage to find staffers to fill vacant teaching positions at Wilbur Cross by the start of next week, a task that has frustrated district officials for months.
“(Perrin’s) going to try to find somebody,” board member Joseph Sokolovic said. “If she can’t find anybody by Monday, if everything falls apart, the students will move.”
Board Chair Bobbi Brown, Vice Chair Christine Baptiste-Perez, Albert Benejan and Sokolovic voted to approve the plans, while Secretary Joseph Lombard, Sybil Allen and Akisha Cassermere voted in opposition. Board members Michael Maccarone and Erika Castillo did not attend the meeting.
District officials announced plans to move the Wilbur Cross students earlier this month after struggling to staff three teaching positions that have remained vacant since the school year began in August.
Perrin, a former principal who was appointed to temporarily lead the district in early November, previously told the board the seventh and eighth grades currently have just one certified teacher, making the school among the most understaffed in the city.
Perrin has said officials chose to send the students to Thomas Hooker for the rest of the year due to its close proximity to Wilbur Cross and its relatively low class sizes. The school’s 68 seventh and eighth graders are currently served by five teachers.
“At the end of the day, when we’re looking at trying to provide access to education, this is the solution that we have on the table,” Perrin said.
Still, Perrin said she would continue to work to identify or hire a teacher to fill one of the vacant Wilbur Cross jobs. She said staffers could also potentially be transferred to the school, but noted the teacher’s union would need to sign off on the change.
The school system is currently operating with about 60 vacancies across the district, though some of those unfilled positions are being covered by long-term substitutes. The district started the school year down more than 80 state-certified professionals, a consequence of a nationwide shortage of educators.
The vote came after board members faced heavy criticism from parents and teachers during the public comment portion of the meeting. Some criticized the board for not addressing the staffing issues earlier, while others accused the district of failing to consult them about the planned move.
Jessica Michaca, the parent of a Thomas Hooker student, told the board she is concerned the school does not have the resources to take on dozens of new students. She predicted the merger would be disruptive for students from both schools, if it goes forward.
“Thomas Hooker is already managing issues with mental health and behavior,” Michaca said. “Our teachers are dealing with a lack of full-time nurses, psychologists and guidance counselors. Our teachers perform multiple jobs during the day to fill those roles.”
Nicole Rizzo-Rivera, a language arts teacher at Thomas Hooker, criticized the plan, describing it as a “Band-Aid.” Instead of relocating each student to Thomas Hooker, she suggested dividing the group between several schools to better distribute the workload for teachers.
“There is a better chance of Cross students assimilating into the schools’ culture and a better chance at closing the achievement gap if we make cohorts that are absorbed into several schools,” Rizzo-Rivera said.
Samantha Cheatham, the president of Wilbur Cross’ parent advisory council who has warned district officials about staffing issues at the school for months, was one of just a few speakers to voice support for the relocation effort.
Cheatham said she believed the district should move as quickly as possible to ensure each class is taught by a certified teacher. She also expressed dismay at Thomas Hooker parents and teachers who have criticized the merger, suggesting they are overlooking the issues facing vulnerable students.
“We should be able to — as a city — put these kids somewhere where they can have an education,” Cheatham said. “That’s all I am asking for.”
richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com.
Twitter @RichChumney.