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Board declines proposed unrequested leave for assistant student services director after lawmakers and members voice SPED concerns
Summary
Executive Director Matson proposed placing an assistant student services director on unrequested leave of absence (ULA); board members raised concerns about special education staffing, an 80% reimbursement estimate for SPED salaries, and compliance risks; the motion failed on a roll call.
Executive Director Matson presented a resolution asking the board to place one assistant student services director on unrequested leave of absence and said the employee had been notified on May 27 and would meet with business office staff about pay and benefits effective June 30.
Board discussion was extensive. Multiple members expressed concern about the timing and the operational impact on special education supports. One board member said the district had not seen a comparable drop in special-education enrollment that would justify the cut and noted the district receives reimbursement on special-education salary costs. "If we're saving only 20%, it's hard for me to justify making this cut," a board member said as she announced she would abstain from the vote because of a personal relationship with the employee.
Other board members argued the move was part of earlier restructuring and emphasized that the district must still meet maintenance-of-effort requirements for special services. Paul (finance) confirmed the district receives approximate reimbursement on special-services expenditures (Durban reiterated reimbursement would be about 80% of the cost) but warned that reductions can shift costs and maintenance-of-effort considerations remain.
The board called for a roll-call vote. The recorded roll call in the meeting transcript showed multiple members voting against the ULA and a noted abstention; the chair voted in favor. The chair announced the motion failed.
Board members who opposed the ULA cited service-level risks (higher caseloads for remaining staff, increased parent complaint risk and compliance burden) and the optics of putting a staff member on a June ULA. Those supporting the motion noted the district's previous reduction targets and the need to align budget assumptions.
Outcome and next steps: the motion for the unrequested leave of absence did not carry; the employee will meet with business-office staff regarding pay and benefits as noted in Matson's presentation.
