Board approves staffing allocation manual after union warns vote could be illegal

The Alachua County School Board on May 6 approved a new staffing allocation manual and related calendar changes intended to reduce district spending, voting 4–1 with board member Vu dissenting.

The manual lays out new allocations, reduced calendars and hours for some positions, and district-level cuts district leaders said were needed to close an expected budget shortfall next fiscal year.

The teachers’ bargaining agent, the Alachua County Education Association (ACA), told the board before the vote that parts of the district’s plan — including converting certain 12‑month positions to 11‑month posts and reducing ESP work hours — could not lawfully be imposed without bargaining. Dr. Tessman, ACA service‑unit director and vice president of instructional, told the board, “It will be illegal for the school board to move forward with the following items without first negotiating with ACA, the bargaining agent certified by the state of Florida for most district employees.”

Why it matters: The district projects a large fiscal shortfall and says it must reduce spending to preserve core services. The allocation manual changes how staff are assigned…