School board reviews final budget draft, personnel allocations and capital project funding

The School Board held a budget workshop where Angelica Tinajero, head over business operations, presented the district’s fourth draft of the personnel-allocation memo, updates to the utilities and capital budgets, and debt-service schedules as the district prepares its final budget.

Tinajero opened her presentation by saying, “This should be our final workshop for this year on budgets,” and reviewed changes to staffing allocations across schools. The personnel memo shows a net reduction of six classroom-teacher units compared with last year; specific changes include a loss of one unit at Avon Park High and Cracker Trail, a half‑unit at Lake Placid High that was added back, a unit added at Avon Elementary, a unit added at Lake Country Elementary and a loss of one at Memorial Elementary. Tinajero said those adjustments reflect the district’s 10‑day student counts.

The memo also moved several specialist and paraeducator positions. At Fred Wilde Elementary, a planned conversion of a music position to theater was reversed after the school could not hire a certified theater teacher; the position was converted to a music para. The district reduced two pre‑K units (including one at Lake Placid Elementary) for enrollment reasons, added half a Title I discretionary para at Cracker Trail paid from carryforward funds, and restored several migrant program positions now funded by grant money. Tinajero said three ESOL…