The workforce at the Warren County R-III School District is about to expand.

Thanks to a unanimous vote by the school board at its March monthly meeting, the district will add 15 positions for the 2026-27 school year.

The positions will fill needs across the district.

The cost of adding the new positions is estimated at nearly $600,000, according to Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith.

“Most of this is to support the new building,” Klinginsmith said.

The ‘new building’ refers to the opening of the new Daniel Boone Elementary School, which is set to open at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The positions to be filled for the new building include three custodians, one early childhood/special education teacher, two food service workers, and one maintenance worker.

Four position areas will be bolstered due to the anticipated growth within the district. Those positions are one latchkey position, one technology department position, four paraprofessionals and three teachers.

Additionally, a 12-month administrative assistant will be added for Early Childhood/Special Education and the administrative assistant for summer school will be converted from a nine-month position to a 12-month position.

Board Director Franci Schwartz said that the large number of newly approved positions is something she hasn’t seen during her tenure on the board.

“I read that we’re adding 15 staff and I can’t remember ever doing that in my entire time on the board,” Schwartz said. “It’s for the new building and, even though we’re not going to put a whole school population in the building, we do need the new staff. (In the past), it’s only been low single-digits that we’ve (had to hire).”

While there will be a bevy of new hires for the next school year, the Warren County School District will lose two Title I teachers due to reduced funding.

“With the (additions and losses), we’ll really be plus-one on the teacher side,” Klinginsmith said.