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Superintendent outlines multi‑tier RIF plan to close $5 million budget gap
Summary
Superintendent presented a three‑tier reduction plan to close an estimated $5 million shortfall, including 24 central‑office positions in tier 2 (13 vacant) and a phased plan for school‑level allotment changes (tier 3); staff said reassignment and supports will be offered and a special board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21 to approve the RIF plan.
Superintendent Dr. Hamlet told the board the district must close an operating gap of roughly $5 million and proposed a three‑tiered approach to spending reductions that prioritizes student‑facing positions while reducing central costs.
She said tier 2 targets central office and central support staff reductions totaling 24 positions; 13 of those positions are vacant and the district expects to offer reassignment options to the remaining 11 employees. "When we look at the tier 2 approach, of the 24 FTEs that are part of the reduction in force, 13 are vacant positions, and the remaining 11 ... will be offered reassignment within our district," a district HR leader said.
Finance staff presented enrollment and fund‑balance figures showing average daily membership has declined from roughly 12,300 at peak to a projected 11,100, translating to multi‑year revenue declines. Finance staff projected a near‑term operating loss that could liquidate local fund balance without corrective action.
Administrators described tier 3 as a longer‑term set of allotment and hiring freezes intended to capture savings through expected attrition across the school year and adjust allotment formulas before the FY2025 budget adoption. Finance staff estimated that changes to allotment formulas tied to tier 3 could yield roughly $5 million a year once implemented, while the attrition capture this year was projected at about $830,000.
Staff emphasized supports for affected employees, including reassignment efforts, licensure assistance and employee assistance programs, and outlined a timeline: individual conversations with tier‑2 staff on the coming Friday, group meetings for tier‑3 staff the following Monday, and a special called board meeting on Aug. 21 for board action on the RIF plan.
Board members asked how the district will redistribute work if positions are eliminated and pressed for clarity on which functions would shift to schools or other departments. Administrators said they would seek to mitigate impacts by absorbing tasks across departments and using natural attrition where possible.
Next step: staff will hold the scheduled personnel conversations, bring a RIF action item to the special board meeting and continue to provide financial detail to the board and public.
