JAY – The superintendent will ask the School Committee on Thursday for another technician for the new prekindergarten classes and for more space.

Superintendent Robert Wall said the proposal is to add a half-time educational technician II four days a week and to use more space close to the classroom.

The committee’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Jay Middle School library.

The cost of an additional technician would come out of federal entitlement money, he said.

“While we could continue the program in the space we have, we feel it is important to expand the program” in a space that is more adequate for students to be involved in activities, Wall said.

The room is adequate now, he said, “We feel it is tight.”

The class taught by Deena Moreau with the help of a full-time education technician four days a week serves 38 students in two sessions. There are 19 students in the morning session and 19 in the afternoon session.

They’d probably be a room change involved in the process but not for prekindergartners, he said.

After years of declining enrollment, Wall said, the numbers of students in the school system have increased from 802 in June to 845 this school year.

Most of the 43-student increase is from the addition of prekindergarten students.

The amount of people in the new program did exceed what administrators anticipated, Wall said.

“We are pleased and are looking at the prospect of additional students,” he said.