Board hears staffing plan; special-education expansion prompts request for assistant division chair

District administration presented the 2026'027 staffing and sectioning overview and recommended an allocation of 259.3 instructional full-time equivalent positions, a net decrease of 7.9 FTE from last year reflecting lower projected enrollment.

"We have approximately 3,612 students currently registered in Infinite Campus," Dr. Waterman said, describing the projected enrollment and how it falls between prior demographic projections. He told the board the proposed 259.3 instructional FTE responds to course requests and anticipated student counts.

Administrators noted rapid growth in special education. Dr. Moore and central leaders said the special-education instructional FTE has risen to about 50.1 from 32.1 in 2021, driven in part by co-teaching expansion and growth in the district's transition programming. The administration proposed formally adding an assistant division chair/program coordinator for special education, funded under the LTEA negotiated agreement with a $5,000 stipend and 0.4 release time.

Board members asked about enrollment trends, the discretionary 0.4 FTE pool used to accommodate late shifts, and the timeline for any personnel actions. Administration said any required staffing actions, including reductions in force or nonrenewals associated with the decreased FTE, will come back to the board at the March 16 regular action meeting and will follow school code procedures.

The district also clarified a numerical correction in the packet: the number of paraprofessionals was approximately 45 (not nearly 70 as earlier written). Administrators said they would present a formal proposal for the assistant division chair on March 16, along with any required resolutions tied to staffing changes.