The hallways are once again full of students at Signal Mountain Middle High School – too full, actually.
The 180-student increase over last year puts the student population at about 25 or 30 kids over capacity, said principal Dr. Tom McCullough. The school was built for 1,340 students.
“As far as it being an issue, right now the number they have is fine,” said Hamilton County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Lee McDade. “Yeah, it is a little over what it was built for, but I think they’re doing fine with what they have.”
Two previously part-time teachers have been converted to full-time faculty, and two more part-time positions are left to be filled, McCullough said. He is interviewing several qualified candidates for the French, Spanish and biology roles still needed this week.
Candidates must have a teacher certification or qualify for a transitional license. To do so they must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and either an acceptable major in the endorsement area, documentation that they have at least 24 semester hours in the teaching content area, or verification that they have passed the required PRAXIS II content exam(s) for the endorsement areas sought.