As classes reconvene this week after a summer break that never seems to be long enough, administrators at the all seven campuses in the Philomath School District will see more students walking through their doors.
The Philomath School Board and the Philomath Education Association appear to be closing in on an agreement with a vote on teacher contracts to take place in the coming days.
The Philomath School District plans to add two new teachers before the beginning of classes this fall in response to larger-than-anticipated kindergarten and fourth-grade classes, Superintendent of Schools Susan Halliday said.
Sitting before the Philomath School Board Thursday evening during the public comments portion of the meeting, four educators one after the other painted a picture of a common theme among the district’s female teachers and staff members feelings of “fear, frustration and exhaustion.”