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Teachers association urges Saranac Lake board to rethink administrative staffing amid declining enrollment
Summary
At the May 6 Saranac Lake Central School District board meeting, Karen Venus of the Saranac Lake Teachers Association presented data on a projected enrollment drop and rising administrative share of the budget and urged a staffing model pivot to put more resources directly with students.
Karen Venus, co-president of the Saranac Lake Teachers Association, told the board on May 6 that the association is concerned about the district’s proposed staffing plan and its fiscal effects as enrollment and staffing levels change.
"Student enrollment is projected to decrease by roughly 11% — from 1,095 students five years ago to about 975 students for the upcoming year," Venus said, and she noted the district’s proposed $39.8 million budget must be balanced against a state-imposed tax levy cap and rising costs. She also said SLTA membership is projected to fall from 162 positions to about 131.
Venus presented specific percentages she said show an expanding administrative footprint: "The total administrative portion has grown from 9.14% to a proposed 11.05%," she said, and urged the board to consider alternative staffing that she argued would prioritize student-facing roles. "Instead of two administrators and one dean in each building next year, we propose a model of one administrator and two deans of students in each building," she said, adding the change would allow principals to focus on instructional leadership while deans handle non-academic student affairs.
The association framed the recommendation as a cost- and student-centered alternative in the face of demographic change. Venus emphasized respect for current administrators — "this input is in no way a reflection of their professional commitment" — and described the suggested model as better aligning resources with students and taxpayers.
The board did not take immediate action on the staffing model during the public comment period. The district’s administrators and board members acknowledged the budget context and indicated personnel and organizational structure would be topics for future internal discussion.
Clarifying details from the public comment that the board may review: the district budget figure stated was $39.8 million; projected enrollment for 2026–27 was given as about 975 students; SLTA membership projection was 131 (down from 162); the administrative share noted moved from 9.14% to 11.05% in the figures Venus presented. Venus requested the board consider the alternate configuration of "one administrator and two deans" per building to prioritize student-facing supports.
The board’s next steps, as stated during committee reports, include further internal discussion of personnel and position structure at an upcoming meeting with the incoming deputy superintendent involved in the transition process.
