Fenton board adopts 2026‑27 certified staffing plan as enrollment trends fall

The Fenton CHSD 100 Board of Education voted to adopt the district’s certified staffing plan for the 2026‑27 school year after a presentation showing declining enrollment and several proposed cost‑reduction strategies.

Administrators opened the item as informational and described staffing projections tied to enrollment trends. District materials showed current student counts at about 1,338 and a prior projection of roughly 1,393; staff told the board that certified staffing overall is down about 4.8 positions compared with last year and about 10 certified positions versus five years ago. Presenters said the reductions concentrate in courses taken primarily by incoming freshmen and sophomores (world language, PE, driver's education) and noted that special education enrollment is expected to rise by about four students next year.

The administration framed the staffing plan as part of a phased, system‑wide effort that also includes targeted cost‑savings: using Fund 60 (noted in the presentation as carrying about $5,000,000) for specific capital projects, evaluating partial debt certificate paydowns, consolidating software and subscriptions, pursuing shared services with nearby districts, and tightening nonessential spending such as travel and some extracurricular support. The district also said a state grant (Stronger Connections) that had funded some mental‑health collaborations is ending, which reduced projected revenue for those services.

Trustees debated the plan before the vote. One board member said, “We need to be more aggressive in finding opportunities to save our dollars, not spend them. And not ask the taxpayer for more contributions,” expressing opposition to raising new taxes or adding long‑term debt. Another board member urged exploring shared superintendency or other partnership models to reduce administrative costs. Supporters of the plan pointed to operational needs and the district’s record of balanced budgets over the prior decade, and said some investments (for example, staffing in math support classes and technology maintenance) are necessary to keep day‑to‑day services operating.

The staffing plan motion was approved by roll call. The clerk read votes on the motion as recorded in the meeting: Miller — Yes; Figueroa — Yes; McCullough — No; Goodrich — No; Rudzinski — Yes; Lewis — Yes. The motion passed.

What this means: the approved certified staffing plan is the district’s staffing authorization for next school year; implementation steps (including which specific positions will be affected and any non‑renewals or reassignment details) were not enumerated at length during the public discussion. Administrators said additional measures (including non‑renewals already on the agenda) and further operational recommendations will be part of the budget development through the summer, with the formal 2026‑27 budget schedule expected in June or July.

Next step: district staff will incorporate the adopted staffing plan into the broader budget process and continue to develop the district’s fiscal plan for 2026‑27, including follow‑up proposals for other employee groups and potential shared services.