Trustees pressed staff on 0‑based staffing and classroom clustering to preserve programs

Staff described a shift to a 0‑based staffing model to align staff counts with conservative enrollment assumptions and to preserve programming without across‑the‑board cuts. The approach holds elementary targets near 22:1, increases some 6–12 staffing ratios, and relies on co‑seating and scheduling flexibility to cover small sections.

"With 0 based staffing, when we look at that, we do staff higher than 22 to 1 in 5th grade..." Doctor Shivers explained, laying out how the district will delay automatic teacher additions when a section reaches 23 students and instead monitor summer/early‑fall counts before committing to new hires. Trustees repeatedly asked how specialized services — notably dyslexia programs, learning coaches and aides — would be preserved; staff said vacancies were used to close certain positions and that decisions will be made individually to avoid service loss for higher‑need students.

Trustees also queried whether co‑seating will require stipends or extra planning time. Staff told the board campuses can use existing allotments or CNI department funds for frontline supports and planned training; they have not proposed a blanket stipend tied to carrying a section above a threshold. The board asked staff to define key performance indicators (retention, workload, student growth) and return with monitoring plans so the governance body can detect service disruptions early.