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Board approves staffing plan for consolidation after debate over assistant principals and deans
Summary
The Madison County School Board on May 29 approved an updated staffing plan tied to school consolidation by a narrow margin after extended debate about whether to add a fourth assistant principal or a third dean at the consolidated campus and whether assistant principals should be 12 months for the first year.
MADISON — The Madison County School Board on May 29 adopted an updated staffing plan for the coming consolidation year after a protracted debate over assistant principal and dean allocations, the length of assistant-principal contracts and budget pressures. The motion to accept the staffing plan was moved by Miss Hagan and seconded by Miss Knight.
Board members discussed competing priorities: some urged being proactive and adding staff now to ensure safety and support during a complicated consolidation, while others warned that adding positions would increase personnel costs at a time of fiscal uncertainty. The board approved the staffing plan; the final recorded vote showed two board members opposed.
Key points of discussion included whether Central School should have three assistant principals and three deans, or four assistant principals and two deans, and whether assistant principals should be set at 12 months for the consolidation year. Superintendent (presenting staffing changes) told the board the plan aligned positions with the union contract and added a half position that had not been accounted for; she said some assistant principals would be 12 months for the consolidation year but noted the plan contains annotations for a return to 11 months afterward.
Board members repeatedly emphasized safety and preparedness. One board member summed up the position for extra staffing: "We don't have time, and we can't afford to mess this up," and urged the board to "pour as much as we can into making sure we have the resources for our kids, for our staff." Another board member cautioned that four assistant principals at one campus is "absolutely unheard of" in other systems and urged fiscal caution, noting the district must prioritize employee pay.
The discussion referenced several fiscal uncertainties, including pending state-level decisions on funding and increases in Florida Retirement System (FRS) costs. The superintendent said she had withheld an estimated 100 FTE in the budget exercise to account for unknowns and recommended reductions in clerical staff to preserve instructional and support positions.
The board also discussed school resource officers; while that topic was mentioned as related to safety, the staffing plan vote concerned administrative positions and did not itself change the SRO arrangement.
After discussion the board voted to adopt the staffing plan. Staff will implement the plan for the upcoming year, monitor enrollment during the first two weeks of school and recommend adjustments if necessary.
