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District reports progress on hiring but flags kindergarten, second‑grade section sizes and custodial vacancies
Summary
Administrators told the Pine‑Richland board they have filled most teacher vacancies but are monitoring kindergarten and second‑grade class sizes and noted custodial and paraprofessional vacancies remain; the district may temporarily use reserves to add teaching capacity if necessary.
In an update to the Pine‑Richland School District board, Director of Human Resources Mr. Glickman reported steady progress filling teacher positions for 2025–26 but said the district is watching several section‑size issues that could require additional staffing.
As of the June 9 meeting, the administration said 11 districtwide positions had been approved for hire (including new hires and reassignments) and that faculty vacancies would be reduced to about four contract teacher openings after the evening’s personnel action. "We are looking at having just 4 contract teacher vacancies remaining," Mr. Glickman said, and highlighted hires in traditionally hard‑to‑staff subjects such as chemistry and world languages.
Support staff needs are greater. The district reported about three paraprofessional vacancies and approximately 7.5 custodial vacancies heading into the fall; an upcoming custodian retirement will add to that number. "We're within striking distance of being fully staffed; we're now up to 7.5 vacancies for next school year," Mr. Glickman said.
Enrollment monitoring showed kindergarten at several primary buildings trending above the district’s informal target class size of 19–20 students. Mr. Glickman said nine kindergarten sections in one building were on pace to start above 20 students. Second grade at one school (Wexford) was slated to have about 24 students in a class while neighboring buildings had lower counts, prompting the administration to consider internal shifts or the addition of a part‑time/full‑time section.
The administration outlined options: reassign existing sections between buildings, recommend adding a full‑time equivalent (FTE) teacher now funded from the district’s assigned fund balance, or monitor enrollment further before acting. Officials said adding one FTE now would increase the district’s budgeted FTE count and draw from the reserve set aside for staffing contingencies. Mr. Glickman said the reserve was about $375,000 and could cover roughly three to four FTEs depending on position type.
Board members asked for continued notification when the administration draws on reserves and for regular updates; several directors agreed the short‑term use of reserves for class‑size management was an appropriate use of the fund, provided the board was kept informed.
Administrators also recognized difficulties retaining custodial staff and noted several capital projects (HVAC replacements at two elementary schools) would start in the summer. The board asked for a clearer timeline and cost narrative for planned building repairs and auditorium upgrades at the high school.
The staffing and enrollment report concluded with an invitation to the public to refer potential applicants for paraprofessional, custodial and administrative support openings and a reminder that the board would review staffing levels again during the April staff services cycle next year.
