The Warren County R-III School Board has approved the district’s staffing plan for the upcoming school year.

The school board last week voted 5-1 in favor of a motion to approve the district’s 2022-2023 staffing plan with two amendments to the proposal. The board removed proposals to add four counselors and remove two assistant principals. With the board action, the number of assistant principals will remain the same next year as it is this year.

The board also approved adding two elementary school teachers, among other staffing changes.

“We would add two elementary teaching positions because one grade level has three sections and now needs four when they get up to the next grade level,” Superintendent Gregg Klinginsmith said. “That happens at two buildings where we need one teacher in each building there.”

The plan, following statewide school recommendations, had also called for the addition of four counselors and elimination of two assistant principal positions. The assistant principals would have been reduced through attrition, Klinginsmith said. He added the district will not be required to adhere to staffing levels through state recommendations.

Board Vice President Franci Schwartz noted if the district takes into account the educational support counselors currently in the district, the district would be within the state’s recommendation without adding any counselors.

Board Secretary Sarah Janes believes the district will need to look at potentially adding counselors in a couple years when federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds go away. She also noted the district would be meeting the requirement if the educational support counselors count as part of the total number.

“While we are utilizing ESSER funds to fill in those gaps as we’re trying to build back our schools, build back our students and bring people to where they hopefully want to be, where we want them to be, I would like to envision those educational support counselors do count,” Janes said.

Klinginsmith confirmed a regular education counselor would have a school counseling certification. The education support counselors are asked to be a masters-level therapist, he said.

Board Treasurer Rodger Tucker expressed concern with the plan to eliminate two assistant principal positions through attrition. Tucker believes each school should have a principal and an assistant principal.

“I’m kind of in the firm belief that the structure of the schools definitely needs its own assistant principal,” Tucker said. “And I don’t know how that fits into the entire district and how those numbers spread out. Maybe we could look at that just a little bit different. Maybe one school might be a little heavy on assistants, where we could afford if we’re needing to make these cuts. We can potentially pull from that. But I’m just in the firm belief that the structure of the school and all the duties that we’re asking our administrators to do, that would be a heavy burden for one administrator. And I’m not too comfortable in seeing a school with just one principal or one administrator.”

The school board received feedback that a lot of teachers want and need support, Board President Ginger Schenck said.

Counselors can be supportive for staff and teachers, she believes. She added assistant principals provide support for teachers. She also expressed concern the cut in assistant principals could be for one or two years before the need requires the positions to be put back in place.

Board member Jeff Schneider preferred the board proceed with a plan that is as close to budget neutral as possible, he said.

“My biggest concern is not being net neutral from a budget standpoint,” Schneider said.

Schneider supported adding the two elementary teachers, which he said makes sense.

Schneider made the motion to proceed with the plan, with removal of addition of the four counselors and removing the recommendation to reduce two assistant principals.