Board approves tentative staffing formulas; district to finalize allocations in April

The Nelson County Board of Education on Feb. 25 approved tentative staffing formulas that district staff will use to prepare final staffing allocations in April.

The board voted to continue using the staffing ratios presented by district staff and to maintain a Section 6 discretionary allocation of $100 per student, the staff said at the meeting. The vote allows the district to proceed with school-level staffing conversations before final allocations are set before May 1.

Why it matters: Staffing ratios and per-student discretionary dollars determine teacher and support positions at individual schools and have direct effects on classroom size, intervention supports and school budgets.

District staff described the process as iterative. Mr. Martin (district staff) told the board the formulas are based on projected enrollment and on multiple funding “pots” used to assign staff: Section 4 for certified staff (teachers, counselors, administrators), Section 5 for classified staff (office staff and instructional assistants), Section 6 for school discretionary spending, and Section 7 for special programs/related arts. He said the Section 6 allocation of $100 per student is consistent with recent practice and that final allocations would be presented in April.

Specific points raised by board members and staff included: - K–2 class-size ratios are set lower than later grades to allow for interventions and early literacy supports; staff confirmed literacy specialists follow a separate funding pool. - For kindergarten classes, instructional assistants are expected to be provided so that each K classroom funded under the formulas will also receive an instructional assistant when projections support the position. - Special education staffing is determined case-by-case from the district’s diverse learning pot and is not embedded in the 22:1 or 23:1 ratio calculations. - Staff estimated that reducing one ratio tier to 22 students per teacher cost roughly $450,000 in the prior year.

The motion to approve the tentative staffing formulas was made by a board member and seconded; the board voted in favor and the motion passed. Staff said they will return with finalized allocation numbers at the board’s April meeting for approval.