Education
Conflicting reason over an aide caused Southside to stop swim class to 1,200 students.
By Cindy Gauthier
Nov 29, 2005, 21:03

Southside Elementary School on Southside Parkway in South Buffalo had to close down their swimming pool to all students two months ago because of lack of staff. By law, according to Superintendent James Williams, all schools with a swimming pool has to have one swim teacher and one aide at all times. Southside didn’t have an aide.

At a meeting in South Buffalo yesterday evening, the Superintendent explain further about Southside Elementary discontinuing the swim program to the largest City of Buffalo School.

He stated it was the principle’s choice at Southside to shut the pool down; this is true in part, Mrs. Theresa Schuta closed swimming classes to her school because the school hadn’t had an aide all year, which was of safety concern and not staff cuts.

After receiving a fax from the Board of Education on the regulation of a swim teacher and an aide, Schuta stopped the swimming instructions because they didn’t have an aide designated to the school’s pool area at all times.

“The school made the decision take the aide out of the pool to put on the instructional side.”
Williams stated at the meeting of block club leaders.

“That is untrue”
Principle Schuta replied in a telephone conversation.

“I would not take an aide from an away from academic area to put into a swim class.”
She explained.

According to the principle of 1,200 students, the Superintendent's comments were put in reverse by stating in the South Buffalo community that Schuta pulled an aide to use in another area of the school building when Southside Elementary didn’t have an additional aide to begin with.

Schuta closed swim class towards the end of September to students based on the safety in not being provided with an aide for swimming at the beginning of the school year.

Williams said he has received many calls on the school being without a swim program and is looking into getting an aide “back in there”. He also said it would have been done sooner but he is monitoring payroll and a smaller number of employees.

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