Hudsonville schools reorganize student services, shifting pandemic-funded roles into new MTSS structure

Hudsonville Public School District administrators presented a restructuring of student-support services Thursday that shifts positions funded by pandemic-era dollars into a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model and moves many staff back into school buildings.

District leaders said the net staffing reduction is roughly 6.5 full-time equivalents after reallocations; they said earlier estimates had approached nine positions but that numbers remain somewhat fluid depending on staff choices, retirements and internal hires. The reorganization includes internal postings for a director of teaching and learning, two instructional coaches, and a set of student support specialist roles intended to sit in buildings rather than as district floating positions.

Administrators described the change as an attempt to sustain supports the district created with one-time federal and state recovery funds while making the programs financially sustainable long term. They said some roles built with COVID relief funding were never intended to be permanent and that the district must adapt as those funds end. Staff noted the district will keep many intervention classes and restorative-practice work in place and will monitor outcomes.

Board members and employee representatives told administrators that teachers have contacted them with anxiety about losing in-building supports and worried that responsibilities previously handled by specialists will fall to classroom teachers or building principals. Administrators acknowledged the concern and said the supports will remain but “look different,” and that the district will monitor and evaluate the changes over a three-year window using existing academic and behavioral measures.

Administrators said they held building-level meetings with teachers, principals and parents while designing the new structure and that the design pulled common themes from those conversations. They also said placement decisions will be influenced by staff seniority and retirement differences and by some positions being posted internally first so current employees can apply.

District staff flagged a set of specifics that guided the redesign: some special education and 504 responsibilities will be integrated into school-based roles, Title IX coordination remains assigned, and analytics and MTSS data work will be centralized under a student support and analytics function. The district also plans to add two instructional coaches focused on mentoring new teachers and professional development.

Board members asked for a clearer communications plan to explain to teachers how day-to-day supports will change and requested regular reporting on behavioral and academic data. Staff said the district has multi-year implementation data and will bring progress reports to the board and to principals, and that a formal evaluation period of approximately three years will be used to judge whether changes are succeeding.

The discussion included multiple requests that the district document what services remain at Tier 1 (universal supports), what will be provided at Tier 2 (targeted supports) and how intervention entry/exit criteria will be tracked. Administrators said they will present additional data and more detailed communications to principals and staff in coming weeks.

The district characterized the realignment as intended to preserve the core supports that were created during the pandemic recovery period while adjusting staffing and supervision arrangements to match recurring revenue and contract constraints. Officials warned the shift will require time to settle and said the district expects “some growing pains” when the new assignments take effect.

Board members and union representatives asked to be included in follow-up meetings, and administrators agreed to continue dialogue with building representatives and to refine the rollout and communications plan.