Superintendent reports staffing, strategic-plan work and facility updates; several resignations announced

Superintendent Crusoe briefed the Baldwin Board of Education on summer preparations, staffing updates, a strategic-planning consultant hire and ongoing facility projects ahead of the school year. Crusoe said administrative and custodial teams "plugged away" over the summer to prepare for the year and that leadership meetings focused on student performance and survey data to guide shifts this year. He said leadership is working with a consultant, Kelly Lyman, to develop a new strategic plan and that the district plans to include board members, parents and staff in that process. "We want to get a well rounded group of people," Crusoe said. On staffing, Crusoe said the district posted a BCS computer-teaching position and an instructional-coach position after the budget passed; those roles had first-round interviews and were moving to second rounds with the expectation of hires soon. He said the district already hired a BCS special-education teacher and a BCS math teacher and is "almost fully staffed" for the start of school. When asked about retention of last year's eighth graders moving to the high school, Crusoe said, "I do not have those numbers, but I can certainly get those." Crusoe also provided building and maintenance updates: ADA pads at district facilities are nearly complete, garage siding work had started, and HVAC work at BCS is scheduled to begin Sept. 15. He told the board the HVAC work will require a second shift while school is in session, which will slightly increase costs because of the delay caused by the budget timeline. The board recorded several summer resignations affecting BCS: instructional coach Kelly Baer; math teacher Michael Majori; special-education teacher Kelly Voir; and paraeducators Christina Black and Kaylee McDonald. Crusoe said most departures were due to career changes or moves out of the area and thanked the staff for their service. Board members praised Crusoe's early engagement since taking the position July 1 and described the transition as "seamless so far." Crusoe said he met with Columbia's superintendent to discuss partnership opportunities and that Columbia staff had invited Bowen High School staff to present to Columbia families about program options. The board asked for follow-up data on eighth-grade retention and staffing fills; Crusoe said he would provide those numbers.