Superintendent defends cuts as board removes administrative-structure changes from HR approvals

The Rochester Public Schools board approved a set of human-resources actions on April 7 but removed the proposed administrative-structure changes after prolonged debate about equity and staff impacts.

Superintendent Kent Pel told the board the reductions were driven by "very tight, inadequate state funding, rising costs," and projected enrollment shifts, and that the district had already approved more than $60 million in reductions over the next five years. He described four senior positions he recommended eliminating to save about $250,000 a year, saying, "none of these decisions are ones I would choose to take for anything other than reasons of necessity." The positions named on the agenda included executive director roles for community education and for family engagement and youth empowerment, the director of positive behavioral supports, and the director of school leadership and improvement.

Director Barlo had asked to pull that section from the consent agenda to ensure the community understood what functions would continue and how supports for family engagement and youth empowerment would be sustained. "What I also realized after leaving the meeting . . . the community at large was not" aware of the rationale, Barlo said, pressing for clarity about how benefits to students, staff and families would be preserved.

Board members split over the change. Several members — citing concerns raised by staff of color, parents and students — urged more time and transparency before eliminating a role many see as carrying an explicit equity function. Others pressed that the superintendent had presented a coherent package that balanced difficult trade-offs, including moves to convert some roles and to post new positions that affected employees could apply for.

By amendment, the board approved the human-resources actions with the exception of the section titled "administrative structure changes." The amended motion passed on a roll-call voice vote. The board's action approved routine HR items but left the cabinet-level restructurings for further study.

Pel said he would return to the board within weeks with additional options aimed at preserving an explicit emphasis on equity while reflecting legal, budgetary and staffing constraints. He also said some elements of the proposed reorganization would proceed: one role would be created (executive director of learning environments) and the chief operating officer duties would be reassigned to Jackie Peterson pending personnel actions.

The vote leaves unsettled how the district will reorganize equity-related functions at the cabinet level, how affected employees will be reassigned, and whether a director-level position with an explicit equity mandate will be reintroduced in a different form. The superintendent said multiple affected employees had been invited to apply for newly posted roles and that some positions funded by external grants could be used as bridges for staff transitions.

The board directed the superintendent to come back with more detailed proposals, including options that more explicitly address concerns about equity, representation and community communication. "I will continue to make the recommendation," Pel said, adding he would also explore an additional recommendation that could be presented at the next meeting.

Next steps: The administrative-structure items removed from tonight's HR actions will be returned for board consideration at a future meeting after additional work by administration and further community input.