One of the first tasks at hand for new Wareham High School principal Scott Palladino is the hiring of four new class deans, an effort to curb discipline issues and help administrators foster relationships with students.

After speaking with high school staff members about the strengths of the high school and suggestions for improvements, the disciplinary process was high on the lists of many teachers as something that could be improved, Palladino said.

It became apparent that "I couldn't continue with one assistant principal spending 95-percent of his time dealing with discipline issues," Palladino said.

Current Wareham High teachers who are certified as an assistant principal or principal for grades nine through 12 will be hired for the four positions. The deans will continue to teach two classes, and will receive a $4,400 stipend for their work as deans, he said.

The new positions will not require any additional funding, Palladino said. The current Dean of Students will become the vice principal, and the Dean of Students position will not be filled. (The prior vice principal took a job outside the district following this school year.)

"With the elimination of the Dean of Students position, and a few other cuts, we will pay for the four stipends for the new deans positions," Palladino said. "Since these deans will teach two classes, part of the money will also be utilized for two new teaching positions to cover the teaching slots [that] the new deans will leave vacant."

In addition to discipline, the deans' responsibilities will include dealing with attendance issues and supporting their fellow staff members.

"The biggest piece is, we now get to deal with those small [discipline] issues," Palladino said. "Sometimes those small issues are brushed under the carpet, and my philosophy is that if you deal with those small issues right away, they don't become big issues."

Each "rotating" dean will oversee one class (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior), with between 210 and 220 students. The deans will stay with those students until they graduate, and then will start with the following year's freshmen class.

"I think this could be a wonderful, but very challenging position," said School Committee member Geoff Swett. "It should be a great stepping stone, especially for those people who want to stay in the classroom."

Palladino, who spent one year as principal of the Cooperative Junior Senior High School, becomes principal of the high school on July 1. The Cooperative School position has not yet been filled.