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Washington Township board trims central-office roles, redirects savings to hire health aides
Summary
At a special meeting the Washington Township Board of Education approved eliminating two central-office positions and reallocating the savings to add health-assistant hours; the action followed hours of public comment from teachers, parents and principals urging protection of classroom staff and students.
The Washington Township Board of Education voted at a special meeting to eliminate two central-office positions and reallocate the savings to increase health-assistant staffing, the district announced after the meeting.
Board members split over the cuts during a lengthy public hearing and discussion. Janine, the district business administrator, told the board the changes reduce the budget by $172,564 in two specific administrative line items and increase the health-assistant line by $221,064 to add hours for those positions.
The move follows hours of public comment from teachers, parents and building leaders who urged the board to preserve staff who work directly with students. Maria Mayo, who identified herself as a teacher in Bunker Hill’s autism classroom, told the board, “These individuals are not just support staff. They are the backbone of our programs.” Joseph Rossi, speaking for the district’s principals and supervisors, asked the board to consult school leaders before making staffing changes: “We respectfully request open dialogue and meaningful discourse to seek the best recommendations and strategies for staffing levels.”
Board debate focused on which administrative roles to cut and on whether the board had sufficient information about how remaining duties would be reassigned. A motion to remove multiple central-office positions (including a director-level counseling position and a buildings/grounds position) passed in part; the board later corrected an affected title and directed the budget adjustments described by Janine. Janine said the specific line-item reductions are $59,124 for the manager of custodial and maintenance services and $113,440 for the director of counseling and student personnel; the increase to the health-assistant line is $221,064.
Several speakers said the timing and process raised concerns. Teachers and parents said nonrenewal notices had been issued earlier because the district lacked a finalized budget. Sandy Fitzpatrick, a kindergarten teacher at Birches Elementary, described an assistant principal and principal as daily supports for students and urged the board to consider the human impact of cuts. Public commenters also raised questions about a memorandum of agreement that had been circulating and whether confidential negotiation details had been leaked; board members said documents distributed to some board members were now being watermarked to trace future leaks.
Board members and some public speakers also questioned the cost of hiring another interim superintendent at an advertised $750 per day; members noted the district currently has assistant superintendents who could serve in an acting capacity. The board was told any additional budget changes must be discussed publicly before the district finalizes the budget for the scheduled vote on the thirteenth.
Janine said the fiscal adjustments related to tonight’s votes will be incorporated into the revised line-item budget that will be available to the board and public before the next meeting. The board left open the option of moving funds among line items to restore positions or benefits if members agree on a specific reallocation before the final vote.
