Belleville board approves multiple personnel actions; public questions hiring process and timing
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Summary
The board approved personnel resolutions including promotions and new or revised positions. Members of the public raised concerns about whether advertised positions were budgeted and whether appointments occurred while application windows were still open.
The Belleville Board of Education approved personnel resolutions numbered 9.9 through 9.39 at its July 21 meeting, including promotions to teaching positions, the appointment of acting business administrator Ernie Turner, and several revised or new job titles the administration said were needed to support large buildings and student needs.
Dr. Eric Alfonso, introduced as the district's new superintendent, said the personnel recommendations include two paraprofessionals being promoted to teachers and a revised athletic director job description. "We did create this assistant principal position due to need," Alfonso said, explaining one assistant principal will be shared between schools 4 and 7 because of enrollment and supervisory demands.
During public comment, Michael Sheldon, a Belleville resident, asked how the board could appoint people to positions that he said had been removed from the adopted 2025-26 budget. "It's my understanding that the budget that was adopted in May for the 25-26 academic year explicitly removed the position of assistant superintendent," Sheldon said. He asked whether the board needed first to recreate positions before appointing to them and raised a separate concern that an appointment listed for Dr. Malcolm Lash did not specify the school site and appeared on BoardDocs before the advertised application window had closed.
Dr. Alfonso responded that several of the job descriptions were revisions rather than new net additions and that the assistant principal role had been created to provide support in large buildings. "We met with each and every building principal, and that is something that strongly is a need," Alfonso said.
Ruben Rodriguez, a Belleville resident, pressed for clarity on whether the SEL (social-emotional learning) supervisory role was a new job or a revision and asked whether the board was approving a submission of an equity plan or authorizing the plan itself; Alfonso said the board was approving the submission of the comprehensive equity plan.
Board motion to approve the personnel slate was made and seconded in committee; the roll call on the motion recorded yes votes from members identified in the record as Miss Gillis, Mr. Leon, Dr. Massaggio, Mr. Muniz, Miss Pacheco, Mr. Darrow and Miss Bennett Meany. The motion passed.
Ending
Board members said they appreciated the business office's work preparing the agenda in a short transition period and reiterated that the administration will continue to explain revisions to job descriptions to the public and board committees.
