Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Enrollment And Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fayetteville-Manlius reports 4,225 students, kindergarten growth and staffing challenges
Summary
District enrollment stands at 4,225 (down 37 from last year) with kindergarten up 22 to 281; administrators reported 30 new hires, 97 teaching assistants, and ongoing recruitment challenges in high-need positions while asking the board to consider longitudinal class-size study and capacity planning.
Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District presented its annual statistical enrollment and staffing report at the Sept. 9 board meeting, showing a total district enrollment of 4,225 students (a decrease of 37 from the prior year) while kindergarten enrollment increased by 22 to 281.
Lisa Wade, who delivered the report, said the snapshot (data pulled Sept. 9) shows the district hired 30 teaching and ancillary staff this year — up from 23 last year — and made 27 probationary appointments. She said 86% of the newly hired teachers hold master’s degrees, the incoming cohort averages about 10 years of prior experience, and 100% of current teachers and administrators are certified.
Wade also presented workforce and applicant data: 97 teaching assistants were listed (including vacancies) and 47 teacher aids/supervision aides were noted; applicant pools varied widely by subject — for example, 159 applicants for elementary positions but far fewer for fields such as foreign language and technology. She said some single-interview hires reflected rapid candidate movement between districts and certification gaps in high-need roles.
The presentation included staffing-ratio slides aligned with the FMTA contract; Wade said no classes exceeded contract limits because the district added sections where needed (an extra kindergarten section at Mott Road was created). Board members pressed for more longitudinal class-size data to analyze trends and for a population-forecast study to inform capacity decisions. One board member suggested recruiting interns or high-school students with data skills to help compile historical section-by-grade numbers.
Wade also described retention and support efforts: a newly implemented exit checklist to capture reasons for departures, substitute PD sessions, pilot ideas for substitute ID badges, career-ladder opportunities to 'grow our own' staff, targeted professional learning and DEI-informed hiring communications. She said listening sessions with bus attendants and other staff produced immediate operational fixes around sharing medical/behavioral information with appropriate permissions.
What happens next: board members asked staff to produce longitudinal class-size reports and consider formal studies to inform facility and budget planning.
