Board rescinds select non‑renewal notices, keeps key special‑education staff after retirement shifts

The Portland Board of Education voted unanimously to rescind several previously issued non‑renewal letters and to adjust special‑education staffing after a longtime clinician’s retirement changed earlier budget plans.

Superintendent Dr. Britton told the board the personnel subcommittee recommended rescinding the non‑renewal notice for Amber Auslander and preserving the full Parisis position while eliminating a clinician role through attrition following the retirement of Lisa Kazinski. "That $200,000 [from the Board of Selectmen] made us whole," Dr. Britton said, describing how the supplemental funding improved the district’s position but did not restore every cut. He added the district will begin July 1 with roughly a $50,000 surplus.

Nut graf: The changes respond to an unanticipated retirement by a testing‑focused psychologist, Lisa Kazinski, which allowed the district to keep its BCBA staffing intact (maintaining Nicole Priest in her BCBA role) while still meeting the budgeted reduction in clinician capacity by not refilling the now‑vacant position. The board framed the move as a way to preserve stability in programs such as Harbor, Bridges and Thrive while balancing legal testing obligations and budget constraints.

Dr. Britton explained the original budget plan endorsed in January would have reduced a BCBA/clinician position and reallocated existing staff: moving Joe (a school psychologist and BCBA) into the district BCBA role and shifting Lisa’s responsibilities. Because Lisa later chose to retire, the district can keep Nicole Priest in her current role and keep Joe in Harbor, which the administration said will create greater program stability. "That allows us to now have the district BCBA but keep Joe in that position," Dr. Britton said.

Board members pressed for clarity on how testing and case‑management responsibilities will be covered. A board member asked whether families who regularly receive testing will notice changes. The superintendent and other administrators said testing obligations will continue and be redistributed among qualified staff: "It will get done. It absolutely will. Who does it may be not Lisa Kazinski — it will be someone else," Dr. Britton said, noting the district will monitor workloads closely and return to the board if service gaps emerge.

Board discussion acknowledged consequences: larger class sizes in the short term and added testing responsibilities for remaining staff. One member warned that redistributed work could tax employees' bandwidth and asked for clear family communications. Board members directed administrators to track implementation and report back if capacity problems arise during the school year.

The board approved a motion recommending full‑board rescission of the named non‑renewal letters; when put to a vote the motion passed unanimously. The action preserves specified staff appointments and implements the clinician reduction through attrition rather than layoffs.

Next steps: Administrators will implement the revised staffing plan, notify affected families as appropriate, and monitor workloads and service delivery; the board said it expects further budget monitoring during next year’s development and will revisit staffing if necessary.