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Board reviews proposed restorations, staffing changes and special‑services restructure for 2026–27
Summary
Superintendent and finance staff previewed proposals to restore district-office positions (HR director, director of instructional services), add a middle-school social studies FTE and reconfigure special‑services staffing in a cost‑neutral way; board will consider actions at upcoming meetings.
Superintendent Dr. Hillman and Director of Finance Val Murderstore presented proposed budget restorations and administrative staffing changes for fiscal year 2026–27 at the April 6 special meeting, framing them as preparatory steps for the incoming administration.
The proposals include restoring a full-time director of human resources (the position had been reduced to 0.6 FTE), restoring a full-time director of instructional services (which currently has no full-time director), adding a 1.0 FTE middle-school social studies teacher to meet new standards, and partial restoration of high-school leadership time by adjusting the principal and assistant-principal arrangements.
Dr. Hillman told the board that district administration and consultants had considered numerous consolidation scenarios but concluded restored, singular positions would better support system needs and incoming leadership. He stressed stewardship and said the district would not use unrestricted general fund dollars for these restorations. "We will not use any unrestricted general fund dollars for this project," he said when addressing funding for construction and budget pressures; later Val explained long-term facilities maintenance (LTFM) revenue is about $380 per pupil, roughly $1.3–$1.4 million annually for the district.
On special education and student support, Caleb Davidson (assistant director for special services and incoming director of student services) outlined a restructuring intended to be budget-neutral: a reduction of an early-childhood special-education coordinator FTE and a school-psychologist FTE, paired with adding two assistant director positions organized as site-based administrators to increase boots-on-the-ground support for IEP meetings, behavior response and rising legal complexity. Davidson said the model aims to shift administrative oversight into buildings where IEP and behavior needs occur and that roughly $50,000 in savings would be reinvested in summer professional development focused on behavior supports and in additional educational-assistant FTE for center-based classrooms.
Board members asked for clarifications about timelines, advertising for rebids, and the implications of using LTFM funds. Several members expressed appreciation for the administrators’ outreach and recommended additional staff listening sessions; Davidson said he had started listening sessions with early-childhood staff and planned more across the district. No formal vote was taken on restorations at the April 6 meeting; administration asked the board to consider these proposals as action items at the April 13 regular meeting, or optionally at the April 27 meeting to allow more time for review.
If approved, the proposed personnel postings would be timed to permit hiring before the 2026–27 school year, with administration noting some positions are in high-demand labor markets and recruitment timelines vary.
