GORHAM – The Gorham School Committee was expected on Wednesday to restore hours for teacher aides known as ed techs, whose hours were cut in the $32.9 million budget approved by town voters in a June validation referendum.

The School Committee was to consider restoring hours in a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, after the American Journal deadline.

The educational technicians recently claimed in a fact sheet distributed to School Committee members that “cuts hurt kids” and cited several educational disadvantages.

The ed techs’ fact sheet listed concerns attributed to the loss of hours, and also raised liability issues.

The fact sheet claimed a staff member was bitten and scratched by a special needs student when an ed tech had to leave because of a reduction in hours.

Additionally, the fact sheet claimed that one kindergarten class had been left unsupervised for 15 minutes, but it didn’t name an elementary school.

Superintendent Ted Sharp disputes the ed tech document. In an email to the American Journal he wrote that no kindergarten class was left unattended and that if a staff member was injured by a student that incident “has little to do with reduced time.”

Kim Barbour, president of the secretary and ed tech segment of the Gorham Educational Support Personnel Association, said on Monday that about 80 ed techs in Gorham’s five schools have been impacted by reduced hours.

“I believe it will take $92,000 to return the hours,” Barbour said.

Superintendent Sharp said this week that a second referendum would not be necessary to resolve the situation. Sharp said the situation would be resolved by “managing the [fiscal year 2014] budget and by using accumulated Medicaid reimbursements over recent years.”

Sharp said “the School Committee is simply voting formal approval of that action Wednesday, and I expect it take minutes to accomplish.”