The school board approved a preliminary district reorganization Monday plan that could include elimination of some teaching or staff position.

Wednesday, December 22, 1999

The school board approved a preliminary district reorganization Monday plan that could include elimination of some teaching or staff position.

The plan proposed by Superintendent David Prescott calls for the review of all personnel for reassignment and the possible elimination of some positions, among other tasks.

&uot;The plan is a work in process,&uot; Prescott said. &uot;We haven’t come up with any specific reassignments or eliminations, but we will be reviewing those. Our goal is for the cost reductions to be such that they will not negatively impact students.

&uot;I don’t like to call what is going on a reduction, as much as it is a readjustment. With less students, there comes less of a need for more teachers and support staff,&uot; he said.

The school board voted earlier this month to reorganize the school district to save money. The district is receiving less education funding because of declining enrollment. The board voted Dec. 6 to close Brookside Middle School to students and to use the building for administration, community education and the alternative learning center.

Sixth-graders next year will be included in the elementary school system as part of the reorganization, with a seventh- and eight-grade middle school and a high school starting at the ninth grade. The reorganization is expected to save approximately $500,000, which is more than was previously projected, Prescott said.

Other steps in the plan include a change in philosophy development, curriculum impact and a review for community education. Later, the school board will form a plan on how to adjust media technology and curriculum to different sites, Prescott said.

Facilities and Transportation Director Bruce Olson and his assistant Todd Christopherson gave an update Monday on the progress of the new high school. A request for the construction of additional lockers in the locker commons was brought before the board and approved.

According to Christopherson, 309 lockers need to be added to the locker commons to accommodate the ninth-graders who will be included in the high school next year. The ninth-graders will be included at the high school due to the recent district reorganization.

The funding was approved by the board and will come out of a contingency fund, said finance director Mark Stotts. Stotts stressed that the contingency fund was included in the recent referendum, which cannot increase due to changes or additions in construction plans.

The additional lockers are estimated to cost $31,068 in labor and materials, Christopherson said.