JAY – The School Committee voted Thursday to eliminate a response for intervention teaching due to federal grant funding being no longer available, Superintendent Bob Wall said Monday.

The committee also voted to terminate the contract of Julie Thornton, the teacher in the position, as of Aug. 31, he said. The committee wants to make it is known that Thornton has done a very good job in the position, Wall said.

The elimination is the result of changes in local conditions, he said.

In another matter, Wall said the committee voted to allow a grievance from a custodian/bus driver after a hearing held in executive session.

The grievance was related to a transfer to a day shift, he said.

Administrators denied the grievance and it went to the School Committee as part of the process, he said.

The person who filed the grievance wanted to transfer to an open day-shift position instead of working a split-shift, he said. Someone else was transferred to the day position and the custodian/bus driver that filed the grievance felt that the position should have been theirs, Wall said.

The committee agreed, he said.

In other business, the committee voted to approve a first-year continuing contract for 2011-2013 for Karina Escajeda, a high school literacy instructor/intervention specialist, contingent upon certification and fiscal budget support.

The panel also voted to approve a second-year probationary contract 2011-12 for Ryan Soucie, the high school guidance counselor, based upon certification and budget support.

dperry@sunjournal.com