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Board members criticize chair’s handling of public comment, press for budget options
Summary
At a school board meeting, members criticized the chair’s enforcement of meeting protocol and limitations on public comment and discussed ongoing budget cuts, including claims the high school AB schedule costs $800,000 more to run. Suggestions included reducing administrative pay and exploring early retirements for senior principals.
Several Alexandria Public School District board members criticized Board Chair Krebs’s handling of meeting protocol and restrictions on public comment, and they discussed continued budget cuts and possible mitigation options.
One board member said the district has tightened public participation rules and that speakers now must submit written comments by 4 p.m. the Wednesday before the agenda is released on Friday. The member described the restriction as limiting community voice and said "It's unacceptable," adding that the practice has affected trust in board processes.
The same member said the district has cut its budget in recent years and warned more cuts may be necessary. She said the district was told the AB schedule at the high school costs about $800,000 more to administer than a traditional schedule and suggested the board consider alternatives to cutting classroom positions, such as a percentage reduction in administrative pay. She also proposed offering early retirement incentives to senior, higher‑paid principals as one potential savings measure.
Other members urged a review of administrative expenses and broader options rather than targeting classroom staff. Board members emphasized the need to balance fiscal restraint with minimizing impact on instruction, but no formal motions or votes on budget measures were recorded during member reports.
The board also received multiple community and school updates during member reports, and the meeting adjourned with a reminder that the next board meeting is April 21.
