Board debates union request for a formal reduction-in-force policy; no action taken

The Monroe County Education Association asked the board to adopt a formal reduction-in-force (RIF) policy; the board discussed the request during a corporation-level discussion and took no action.

Miss Harmon, administration's designee to MCEA, reviewed the district's long-standing collaborative discussion procedures with the union, a written collaboration plan and a board bylaw (0135) that the board adopted in April 2024 to preserve regular discussion despite changes in state law. She summarized five discussion formats (corporate-level, building-level, evaluation oversight, instructional technology and special education case-manager collaboration) and described administrative guidelines the district used this year to consider staffing decisions and potential position reductions.

Board members asked questions about differences between nonbinding administrative guidelines and a binding board policy. Trustee Erin Cooperman and others said the union's requested policy appeared to prioritize factors (for example, socioeconomic balance, cost effectiveness, capacity) in a way that would bind administration decision-making. Several trustees said they value the district's collaborative approach and trust the superintendent, Doctor Allison Winston, and administrative team to consider agreed factors; others said a binding policy would provide additional security to staff. Attorney Tom Banger confirmed the statute prescribes timing and notice requirements for any reduction in force and many districts follow statutory requirements.

Outcome: the board discussed the request and gave no directive or motion; trustees said they would continue the conversation and may revisit whether a formal, board-adopted policy is appropriate given legal constraints and local circumstances.