Highlands board workshop reviews $6 million in personnel cuts, shifts roles to maintain programs

At a May 15 workshop, the Highlands School District presented a second draft of its personnel allocations that district leaders said reduces the budget by $6,000,000 while reallocating staff across schools to preserve key programs.

Dr. Longshore, the district superintendent, told the board the district is "still waiting on our budget from Tallahassee," and said the district’s goal was to "reduce our budget by $6,000,000 and we have done that." Staff presented specific staffing changes intended to reach that target and maintain classroom supports.

The personnel memo reviewed by the board includes multiple targeted changes: a net decrease of two assistant principal units with an AP added at Avon Park High and a reduction at Highlands Career Institute; a conversion that removes one classroom teacher at the academy and adds a lead teacher at the Highlands Career Institute; a conversion at several elementary schools where an art or music allocation was changed into a dean at Memorial; and multiple adjustments to paraeducator staffing tied to individualized education program (IEP) needs.

District staff said guidance and dean allocations at some sites are…