School board approves staffing reassignments amid debate over advertising and community ties

The Madison County School Board voted to approve a staffing allocation plan and related personnel actions, including converting a 12-month assistant principal position to an 11-month dean post at Madison County High School and shifting other duties into a new Coordinator of Special Projects position, during its regular meeting on Oct. 25, 2025.

The move, presented by district staff, was described as a cost-saving measure: the board heard the high-school change would be “a cost savings of approximately $15,000 before the benefits” and a proposed reconfiguration at Central School would yield “a cost savings of approximately $17,000 not including the benefits,” according to district remarks at the meeting.

Board members said the changes are intended to realign duties after the district created a district-level Coordinator of Special Projects position to absorb some responsibilities formerly tied to school-based assistant principal roles. The new job description presented at the meeting adds duties including public information, risk management and investigations; the board approved that job description earlier in the agenda.

The staffing allocation update prompted extended discussion about how the changes would be implemented. Miss Hagan, a board member who opposed the staffing plan, said the reassignments risked “setting the new principal up for failure,” adding that the new principal “doesn't know anybody in the community” and therefore might lack the support needed to succeed. She repeatedly raised concerns about the district relying on central-office staff to evaluate and support school leaders who will no longer be on campus day to day.

District staff responded that most district staff have educational leadership credentials and that they are developing evaluation forms and processes to supervise and support school staff after the reconfiguration. A district staff member said the district staff “are on-site a lot more,” and noted prior practice of district administrators conducting school evaluations.

Board members also debated whether newly created positions had been advertised before being filled. Several speakers asked whether the newly approved positions would be publicly posted; district staff stated that newly created positions that were not previously existing “will be advertised.” One board member said some roles had been filled quickly after board action, and called that “very unfair.”

After discussion, the board approved the staffing allocation plan update. The motion carried with the board noting a 3-to-1 result: the board recorded that Miss Hagan opposed the measure. The motion was made by Miss Thompson and seconded by Miss Knight, according to the meeting record.

Clarifying details discussed at the meeting included the district’s estimated cost savings (approximately $15,000 and $17,000 before benefits) from the reassignments and the conversion of a 12‑month assistant principal to an 11‑month dean role at Madison County High School. Board members also discussed that Central School would move from a configuration of three assistant principals and two deans to two assistant principals and four deans as part of the reallocation.

The personnel changes package that followed the staffing allocation vote — covering instructional and noninstructional recommendations, some resignations, and part-time interventionist assignments — was then approved by the board. District staff said two interventionists listed in the personnel packet are part-time and together cover the equivalent of one full-time interventionist.

District officials told the board they are preparing forms and procedures to evaluate staff under the new structure and that mentors would be provided where needed.

The board recorded the staffing allocation and related personnel actions as approved; one board member registered opposition.

The board did not identify statutory or policy limits that would block the reconfiguration, but discussion centered on implementation details and community engagement going forward.

Ending: District leaders said they will follow up with more information about evaluation procedures and posting schedules for newly created vacancies; board members and staff agreed to monitor the change’s effects on school operations and report back at a future meeting.