The position has not been filled for years because WSR also needs classroom teachers, according to vice principal Naomi Nishimura.
She said a reading specialist plays an important role in monitoring the progress of students in reading, SAT-10 and SBA tests.
A reading resource specialist must be a highly qualified teacher, she added.
WSR also needs a suitable place for its reading resource center which provides reading guidelines to students who have problems with reading comprehension and vocabulary.
WSR has 29 classrooms on campus, in addition to its rooms for the bilingual class, the special education program and the library.
Nishimura said they have enough rooms to accommodate the anticipated enrollment this school year, which is 680 from kindergarten to sixth grade.
WSR, she added, wants to maintain its student to teacher ratio of 23:1 in all grade levels.
WSR has 29 classroom teachers, the majority of whom are highly qualified — they have degrees, valid teaching certificates and have passed the Praxis tests.
It has 3 classrooms for its 90 kindergarten students.
But as in the previous years, WSR expects to see “a lot” of children on the kindergarten waiting list this school year.
Starting in June, the school staff and maintenance personnel have started preparing the campus for the new school year.
Recently, the school extended the exterior of one of its building to provide more space to the students. This project was funded by donations from the community, Nishimura said.
In the new school year, she added, they will implement a student uniform policy, which is supported by the PTA.
Five sets of the uniform cost $115.
Nishimura said instructional materials remain their top priority.
Despite the limited funding they will receive for school operation, she said WSR will continue to prioritize and focus its efforts on student learning.
