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Pine River-Backus board adopts staffing cuts, authorizes 3.0 FTE principal structure and adds speech-language pathologist
Summary
At a special April 20 meeting, the Pine River-Backus School District Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution reducing programs and positions, approved a 3.0 FTE principal structure (HS 9–12, MS 5–8, Elementary PreK–4) and added a speech-language pathologist for 2026–27.
The Pine River-Backus School District Board of Education met in a special session on April 20, 2026, in the high school media center and unanimously approved several staffing actions intended to restructure school leadership and support services. The meeting opened at 5:30 p.m. and adjourned at 5:46 p.m.
Board chair Chris Cunningham presided. Board members present were Leslie Bouchonville, Roger D. Hoplin, Nicki Linsten-Lodge, Carrie Maurer-Ackerman, David Sheley and Ryan Trumble; Superintendent Jonathan Clark was also present. The board first voted to approve the meeting agenda after a motion by Nicki Linsten-Lodge and a second by Roger D. Hoplin; the motion carried with all voting aye.
The board then adopted a "Resolution Discontinuing and Reducing Educational Programs and Positions." Roger D. Hoplin moved adoption and Leslie Bouchonville seconded. The resolution was recorded as filed in the district's legal minute book; the resolution text itself was not included in the meeting minutes and specific programs or positions affected were not specified in the public minute excerpt.
Following that action, the board approved a restructured leadership model, voting to create a 3.0 full-time-equivalent principal structure. The board authorized one additional principal position and defined the roles as a high school principal for grades 9–12, a middle school principal for grades 5–8 and an elementary principal for PreK–4. The motion to approve the 3.0 FTE principal structure was moved by Ryan Trumble and seconded by Carrie Maurer-Ackerman and passed unanimously.
In the final substantive action, the board approved an additional Speech-Language Pathologist position, to take effect with the 2026–27 school year. The motion was made by Nicki Linsten-Lodge and seconded by Leslie Bouchonville; all voted aye. The minutes do not specify funding sources, salary impact, or whether the position is new or a reclassification of an existing slot.
The special meeting record notes the formal motions and unanimous votes but does not provide text of the discontinuation resolution or details about which programs and positions will be reduced. The meeting was adjourned by Chair Chris Cunningham at 5:46 p.m.
Votes at a glance: - Approve agenda — Mover: Nicki Linsten-Lodge; Second: Roger D. Hoplin; Outcome: approved (all voted aye). - Adopt Resolution Discontinuing and Reducing Educational Programs and Positions — Mover: Roger D. Hoplin; Second: Leslie Bouchonville; Outcome: adopted (all voted aye). Resolution filed in legal minute book; specific reductions not specified in minutes. - Approve 3.0 FTE principal structure (HS 9–12; MS 5–8; Elementary PreK–4) and authorize an additional principal position — Mover: Ryan Trumble; Second: Carrie Maurer-Ackerman; Outcome: approved (all voted aye). - Approve additional Speech-Language Pathologist position, effective 2026–27 — Mover: Nicki Linsten-Lodge; Second: Leslie Bouchonville; Outcome: approved (all voted aye).
Next steps: The minutes indicate the resolution was filed in the district's legal minute book; the board did not record further implementation details or timelines for the staffing reductions in the excerpted minutes.
