Board reviews staffing projections, Lurgio cuts and a request for extra clerical hours

At the Nov. 3 budget session, Bedford School District staff reviewed projected enrollment changes and personnel requests that will shape FY27 staffing and operating costs.

Administrators presented enrollment data showing a projected drop in Lurgio’s seventh‑grade cohort to about 297 students for 2026‑27 and recommended reducing seventh‑grade classroom staffing from 16 to 14 teachers. Staff emphasized modeling tied to course offerings and math placement that informed the recommendation.

During a subsequent personnel discussion, Principal/administrator Ed Kamisky requested adding approximately 0.5 full‑time‑equivalent clerical hours at Lurgio to improve coverage during high‑volume times (morning arrival, dismissal, and busy grading/finance periods). Kamisky said the clerks currently carry expanded responsibilities — attendance, substitutes, finances and procurement card reconciliation — and that gaps in coverage can create operational 'paralysis.' He said the district had chosen a two‑clerk model (clerks rather than a full‑time secretary) as a cost tradeoff but that rising workload supports adding hours.

Board members asked whether declining enrollment undercuts the justification for added clerical time and discussed tradeoffs between hiring a full‑time secretary (with paid leave) versus adding part‑time clerk hours. Staff responded that the clerks are full‑time during the school year but have flexibility in summer scheduling and that certain tasks (payroll, financial controls, and extra regulatory work) have increased the clerks’ workload.

No formal personnel decisions were made; trustees asked staff to model the FY27 budget impact of the clerical request and return updated figures at the Dec. 1 budget meeting so the board can decide whether to include the position in the final recommended budget.