The Suffolk City School Board on Oct. 23 directed Superintendent Dr. Gordon to prepare a consolidated administrative staffing and facility-utilization report ahead of a joint meeting with Suffolk City Council on Dec. 3.

Vice Chair McGee moved that the superintendent present a report to the board no later than one week before the Dec. 3 joint meeting. The report was defined in the motion to include: (1) a list of current central-office administrative positions (title, role, department and reporting structure) including which positions are office-based versus field-based; (2) a list of positions expected to occupy the proposed VDOT facility, including any new or reclassified roles; and (3) a 10-year historical and comparative overview of administrative-to-student ratios and staffing and enrollment trends. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

The timing requirement was later clarified: the board requested the report be provided at least one week before the Dec. 3 joint meeting so members would have time to review material and prepare questions. Several board members asked that staff be prepared to present the data at the Nov. 13 regular board meeting if possible.

Dr. Gordon told the board the division has been looking for a consolidated central-office location since 2021 and had toured multiple properties: an HR building previously earmarked for renovation, a Wilroy Road facility, an Innovation Center, and, most recently, the VDOT building. The division’s current central-office footprint was described as roughly 27,000–28,000 square feet; the VDOT site would be approximately 39,000 square feet if used by the division. Dr. Gordon noted multiple site-specific concerns raised during earlier tours, including a leaky roof and insufficient parking at the VDOT building, significant repairs at the Virginia Pallet building, and erosion issues at the HR building’s parking area.

Board members said they want the report to show not only raw head counts but also how administrative staffing has changed with program needs such as special education and English-language learnings, and how central-office location and layout would affect operations and future growth. Dr. Gordon described several classifications and position additions made during his tenure (additional special-education coordinators, human-resources coordinators, community engagement staff and a director of curriculum/instruction), and said much of the change in central-office staffing responds to student need rather than simple head-count increases.

The board approved the motion to request the report; members agreed staffing and facility-use data are material to upcoming budget and site decisions and to discussions with the city about capital improvements and potential lease/renovation costs.

Separately, the board discussed questions posed by potential vendors on the division’s forensic audit RFP. Because of a tight timeline for posting answers, board leaders arranged to meet with senior staff and the purchasing contact (Ms. Bates) on Monday to finalize responses; the board did not take a separate formal vote to change the delegated review process for RFP questions.