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Fountain Hills Unified outlines staff reductions across schools amid enrollment shifts
Summary
District staff presented a plan of staffing reductions driven largely by attrition: six positions at McDowell Mountain Elementary, multiple middle-school electives adjusted, and six high-school cuts including science, English and math reductions. Leaders said scheduling and FHU coursework should limit class-size spikes.
Speaker 2, an unnamed district presenter, told the board the district will absorb most reductions through attrition and scheduling changes, aiming to minimize classroom disruption.
The presenter said the bulk of elementary reductions will be at McDowell Mountain Elementary, where six positions would be trimmed by reducing one kindergarten section and combining a fourth/fifth-grade section. At the middle school, planned reductions include one physical-education position (shared between middle and high school), an elective Spanish position and a 0.5 art position attributed to a retirement.
At the high school, Speaker 2 outlined six position reductions: one science position, two English positions (one due to retirement), math staffing reduced from four to three, and studies moving from three to two positions. The presenter said the district plans to retain a mix of core and elective offerings and to use trimester scheduling and Fountain Hills University (FHU) course options to spread student demand. "We have the vast majority of reductions coming from attrition," Speaker 2 said, noting that schedule adjustments can keep class sizes "pretty normal in comparison to districts around us."
The presenter estimated that elementary class sizes could increase from about 18 to the mid-20s in some grades; he said low-thirties would be concerning. For high-school social studies, Speaker 2 walked trustees through section math: with fewer staff the district expects to manage required courses by leveraging FHU enrollment and adjusted staffing patterns.
On music and extracurriculars, Speaker 2 said the district would not immediately replace one band teacher; a current staff member (identified in the discussion as George) will add a band section to his schedule for at least a year, and community volunteers were cited as additional support.
Trustees thanked staff for creative planning. Speaker 3 said, "I'm proud of the way you've approached it in trying to minimize the... tough cuts." Speaker 4 pressed for precise high-school estimates; the presenter responded with section-level arithmetic and cautioned that English will be the tightest subject to staff.
The presenter described stipend pay for extra teaching periods (ETPs) at roughly $3,000 per trimester — about $9,000–$10,000 annually if multiple sections are covered — as one tool to cover gaps while avoiding new hires. He also said some positions will be reassigned rather than eliminated, for example moving a PE teacher to an elementary role so the position remains staffed.
The board did not take a final vote on the staffing plan during the meeting; trustees signaled support for continued work on schedules and asked staff to return with implementation details at future sessions. The board is scheduled to meet again on March 5 and March 19.
