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Technology director seeks systems administrator reclassification in net‑zero budget move; staff warn of understaffing
Summary
Eric Maynard told the board he plans to reclassify an existing IT employee to a systems administrator title, covered within the current technology budget so the change has net‑zero budget impact. He and others said the department is understaffed for growing demands and closes thousands of help tickets each year.
Eric Maynard of the district technology department presented a request to reclassify an existing IT position to a systems administrator title and move the employee to the CFM lane 3 pay scale. Maynard said the change would be paid from current technology funds and would not require additional appropriation from the board.
Maynard told the board the district’s tech staff are all classified as "IT technician" today despite varied duties; he said creating a systems administrator classification is an industry standard and would formalize responsibilities for higher‑level system administration, cybersecurity and platform maintenance (Skyward, PowerSchool, Google).
Why it matters: Maynard said the department supports critical functions — student and staff email, cameras, phone systems, online testing and cybersecurity — and currently averages roughly 1,200 support tickets per month. He and others said the tech staff (five full‑time plus one part‑time) are small compared with peer districts and that losing a skilled employee would be difficult and expensive to replace in the regional labor market.
Budget mechanics and pay: Maynard proposed moving the incumbent to CFM lane 3, step 1 (documented in the packet) with an estimated salary around $64,000 — higher than the incumbents’ current salary. Maynard said the technology budget as presented includes the necessary reallocation, so the request is effectively net‑zero this budget year. He said larger regional market rates for a systems administrator are typically higher (he cited $75,000+ in the region) and that turnover risk remains.
Board discussion: Members asked whether the reclassification must be posted; staff answered that the change involves repurposing an existing funded position rather than creating a new funded slot and that normal posting practices apply for new hires but internal promotion is feasible in this case. Maynard said longer‑term plans in a five‑year technology plan would include adding staff to maintain systems in schools.
Next steps: Staff said they will include the reclassification in the budget package and present a more detailed five‑year technology plan at the board retreat.
