The Charleston Joint Parent Teacher Association announced Tuesday it will have to make staff reductions for the 2002-2003 school year.

The Joint PTA said it will cut one assistant principal; one classroom teacher in second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade; one library aide; and one Charleston High School secretary.

In addition, the gifted program will be reduced. The reductions will increase class sizes from kindergarten through the sixth grade.

Members also will consider dropping one speech/language pathologist and two Charleston High School psychology interns. If the federal class reduction grant is eliminated, one kindergarten and one first grade teacher will be cut from the staff as well.

The Joint PTA proposed these reductions mainly because of a $500,000 to $900,000 deficit for next year. Other major reasons for the reductions are the school enrollment has decreased heavily since 1995, and state financial support has decreased.

“The absolute last thing that we should be doing is cutting teachers,” Ted Wetekamp, superintendent, said.

The Joint PTA already looked at possibly making other cuts instead of teachers. The schools involved in the Joint PTA already have fewer janitors than needed, therefore they could not afford to cut any of them. Members of the administration and the coaching staff are few and far between as well, and no cuts could be made in those two departments either.

The Board of Education plans to make a final decision on the 2002-2003 budget at its next meeting.