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Boards approve central office budget; debate grows over converting special-education director to assistant superintendent role
Summary
The three boards were presented with a 2025'26 central office budget and discussed a budget-neutral proposal to convert the shared director of special education into an assistant superintendent of pupil services (or assistant superintendent for special education) to broaden the candidate pool; Easton moved to approve the central office budget by voice vote.
District leaders presented the central office cost center and a proposed budget for 2025'26, describing a 3.5% increase driven mainly by certified and non-certified salaries (about 75% of the cost center), employee benefits and building lease costs.
The presenter cited a proposed central office total of $2,350,677 for 2025'26 and explained assumptions around health-insurance budgeting: the district budgeted $160,000 for central-office health insurance for 2025'26 while projected 24'25 year spending could be closer to $260,000, using reserve funds to smooth the impact.
Discussion focused on a staffing proposal to convert the shared director of special education into an assistant superintendent of pupil services (or assistant superintendent of special education). Proponents said the title change is budget-neutral, would broaden the candidate pool and could add responsibilities such as oversight of nursing and gifted-and-talented services. "By changing the title we're increasing the competition for talent," a presenter said, noting the salary split across the three districts would remain.
Some board members worried about optics of adding another assistant superintendent and whether the role should sit in central office to protect the position from individual budget referenda. One member warned that shifting an FTE between budgets could expose the role to risk if a single district's referendum failed; others said the accounting could be made transparent and the role moved to central office in a subsequent year if desired.
A motion to approve the central office budget was made for the Easton board and passed by voice vote with "all in favor" recorded; the transcript does not provide a detailed tally. Board members directed staff to assemble a hiring committee to draft responsibilities for the new assistant superintendent/special education search, and to return recommended job language and community communications.
The boards emphasized that the title change would be budget-neutral and that the district will provide more detail to the public when the hiring process begins.
