Board approves personnel changes; administrators warn of special-education and bus-driver vacancies

The Tuscaloosa City Schools Board on Jan. 13 approved the superintendent’s personnel recommendations, a package that included retirements, resignations, a termination under the Students First Act, part-time extended-day tutors, planning-period supplements and academic incentives.

Dr. Cameron, presenting the item, said the supplemental list included additional retirements and new hires. He told the board that if the recommendations were approved the district would have eight vacancies among self-contained special-education teaching posts and nine remaining bus-driver vacancies after retirements.

"If these recommendations are approved, we'll have 8 special ed teacher vacancies across our system," Dr. Cameron said, and added that staff are developing a retention and recruitment plan in consultation with school leaders. He said the district has 34 self-contained classrooms and 78 special-education paraprofessionals, and that the vacancies put pressure on colleagues who must carry extra workload while the district works to follow individualized education programs (IEPs).

On transportation, Cameron said two bus drivers plan to retire at the end of the month and that three drivers are currently in training, with additional trainees beginning soon. "We've got 3 that are in training right now, and we've got 3 more that are beginning to train as well," he said; he described a goal to fill the transportation roster and ease late-bus issues.

Board members asked for follow-up data on total teacher vacancies and for more detail on the district’s retention plan; Dr. Cameron said he would provide those numbers.

The board approved the personnel package by voice vote.