East Wareham Elementary will undergo a reorganization and name change next year, reopening for the 2012 school year as the East Wareham Early Childhood Center.

The School Committee approved the changes to the public preschool at its Wednesday, December 7 meeting after hearing a plan to streamline operations at the school, which serves the special needs preschool population and houses related services for preschoolers.

East Wareham Elementary, which reopened as a preschool three years ago, is currently overseen by Principal Joan Seamans, who also serves as principal of Minot Forest Elementary (grades 1 through 5) and Hammond Elementary (kindergarten). Seamans is assisted by Assistant Principal Nancy Ames, who also works for all three schools, along with Mary Morgan, the district's Early Childhood Coordinator.

Seamans and Ames share administrative duties concerning the daily operation of East Wareham Elementary. Morgan currently does not have administrative duties, but monitors the individualized education plans for all preschool students receiving special education services, among other duties.

“I think that [the school] was not running as efficiently as it should and as part of our [annual] improvement plan, we felt [we should] bring this forward to you,” Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch told the School Committee. “We get someone who is responsible for the education of the children on that site” with the plan.

Currently, Seamans spends approximately 25% of her time at East Wareham Elementary, while Ames is on-site approximately 50% of her time.

When the changes take effect, the Early Childhood Coordinator's job title will change to “Coordinator of East Wareham Early Childhood Center” and the employee will take over the administrative, day-to-day operations of the building in addition to current responsibilities. The new position will be posted and thus open for anyone to apply for the job.

With that change would come an approximately $5,000 per year pay raise as compared to the current position, though the Coordinator will work 13 additional days per year.

The preschool program is funded roughly 70% out of the school district's budget, with 30% paid by grant funding. The School Committee approved the proposal with the stipulation that at least 30% of the funding for the school be paid through “outside sources.”

“The concerning part for me from the 'special ed' part of my job is we have not had somebody who is the administrator of the building there full-time,” Robert Louzan, Director of Student Services, said in advocating for the change. “In terms of the kids and their needs, it's important to have somebody there.”

Seamans, who also appeared before the School Committee, said she supported the plan. School Committee members were equally supportive.

“I've been amazed at how Joan [Seamans] does it, because when you have three schools, that's a lot of responsibility,” said School Committee member Kenneth Fontes.

School Committee chair Geoff Swett agreed.

“From a management perspective, I think this makes total sense,” he said. “I would like to free up a little bit of Joan's time to focus on [kindergarten] through [grade] 5 students.”

Duties will begin shifting among all of the parties involved beginning this month. The transition will be complete and the name of the school will be officially changed in June, 2012.