Harrison County Schools projects staffing shortfall after 280-student enrollment decline

Superintendent Miss Sleasberg told the Harrison County Board of Education on March 4 that the district’s second-month headcount fell by 280 students year over year and that the decline will leave the district staffing levels above what the state funds.

The personnel presentation showed Harrison County Schools employs 78.14 professional positions and 69.07 service positions in excess of state funding; the superintendent said the district is projecting 277.21 positions over the formula once changes and the addition of 30 third-grade aides are accounted for. Miss Sleasberg said the combination of enrollment decline, state aid calculations and charter/UTC counts produces a budget shortfall that will require using reserves unless staffing reductions and other actions are adopted.

Why it matters: state aid funds nearly all standard classroom positions; the district reported that 82.71% of its budget is dedicated to salaries and benefits. Miss Sleasberg said the district faces roughly $1.8 million in lost state aid tied to 22 professional positions, service reductions and fixed charges once the state’s calculations are adjusted — figures she derived after reviewing the underlying state data files.

Most important facts

- Enrollment and funding: Second-month headcount was 9,355; Miss Sleasberg listed prior two-year declines of 311 and 331 students.

- Positions over formula: 78.14 professional and 69.07 service positions in excess of state funding were reported; the presentation summarized a total of 277.21 positions over formula after planned changes.

- Abolitions and creations: The presentation listed abolished positions (referenced as reductions tied to merger/consolidation and normal transfers) with an associated reduction in funding of $1,772,409.50. The district proposes creating 2 professional, 3 service and 1 extracurricular positions at a total projected cost of $296,877, yielding a net avoided cost (reductions minus creations) of $1,475,532.50 according to the materials shown to the board.

- Staffing detail and special programs: The superintendent noted that some positions are out of formula (for example, LPNs in schools, alternative programming, and Project AWARE coordinator grant-funded positions). She said Project AWARE coordination is grant-funded and the grant is ending; the district plans to contract for therapists rather than continue a funded coordinator position.

- Charter, UTC and HOPE Scholarship effects: Miss Sleasberg said charter-school enrollment and the Montlake County Vocational School UTC are included in the state’s headcount that produces the district’s formula-funded positions but must then be backed out in local accounting, which complicates the net funding picture. She also described changes to the HOPE Scholarship rules anticipated in 2026 that will make student movement more fluid; she said the district often receives no midyear reimbursement when a student uses scholarship funds at a private school and that the district invoices other counties or charter schools in some midyear transfer cases.

- Timeline and process: Miss Sleasberg reviewed the personnel season timeline: hearings (if requested) are scheduled in April, a large posting for academic/extracurricular positions is the first week in May, and the board must approve a budget by May 30. The district expects final state aid calculations on or about April 25 and will present budget discussions on April 17 so the board can act after those numbers are available.

Select direct attributions

- On posting dates for coaching positions: “It’s always the first posting in March, so it’s gonna be March,” Miss Sleasberg said.

- On charter and scholarship funding complexity: Miss Sleasberg explained that charter and UTC enrollments are counted in the state headcount the state uses to set formula positions, then subtracted locally, and that scholarship funds often go directly to private schools for a semester with no immediate return to the district.

Board action and next steps

The special meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that passed by voice vote. The superintendent requested that the board follow the personnel-season schedule and allow staff to proceed with transfers, postings and hearings as needed so staffing for next school year can be finalized on the timetable tied to state aid.

Ending

Superintendent Miss Sleasberg said the district has used reserves in recent years to maintain staffing levels and that without the recommended staffing changes the district will likely draw on reserves again. The board will consider recommendations and hold a budget discussion April 17 and await final state aid figures expected in late April before taking final budget votes in May.