[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6088501,"mediaKeyId","2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df","parentId",2880196,"title","District staff propose school‑level staffing changes and administrative restructuring with nearly $1M in district‑office savings","audioSeconds",647,"startMs",88000,"endMs",735000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df&start=88&end=735","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df/thumbnail_88000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6088501/West-Virginia/District-staff-propose-schoollevel-staffing-changes-and-administrative-restructuring-with-nearly-1M-in-districtoffice-savings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088501-145b396ab0ea610910e5a4af8e8bbc25/orig.mp4?Expires=1770636489&Signature=TJ1s-HBq2Sqpj9jeJo-v9kvGaOEJ2BmYwTK0-VmEM87pjNat-Lj-Z3EzxymvUOteZ1wyZRpnjZu6jEg9JEyRvpb09pHPjmhAq4FGcix5I4U75roGvRyIH13zeECMo19e-U3HkdN8fQfPT1JXz4V2gg1vNHvA0glYUJY6vfUWC24GD1bcTM7fumtjHjRj8hY~ftZ-~sKa5NE3lO0aZU3Fleux~kTtqOpaXA2TCAH~alOfA2T7q-5uhJLHuB~DSCF2olHGQmSetLa85c9QMJEvlsbrLa0cWVZTwEtjmyeAt2CQiUA7-zPtshtPYck8II23FmHGQHE66TasqYKQVlJ2gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Berkeley County Schools","date","2025-04-05T03:48:58.617Z","article","Berkeley County Schools staff presented a package of school‑level staffing adjustments and a district‑office restructuring that together are a central driver of the draft budget.

Staff said school staffing changes reflect enrollment and class‑size shifts and include adding 20.5 professional positions while reducing 26 service personnel; staff presented a net school staffing cost of about $279,566 (Speaker 3). The same presentation split out administrative restructuring: Speaker 3 described a reduction of nine district administrative positions, with a reported savings of about $989,763 as part of a larger $1,481,000 administrative change number.

Nut graf: The board heard staff argue the school changes aim to align staffing to state formula areas and to add personnel where projected class sizes require them; the administrative reductions are presented as a way to offset new school staffing costs.

Supporting details: staff noted the draft includes pre‑K aid changes and floating ECAT positions to cover absences; one staff member cautioned any reversal of child‑nutrition charging would require adding staff back. Speaker 6 summarized classroom policy risk: a bill in the legislature could require an ECAT for every K–3 classroom regardless of class size and would add roughly 23 ECATs countywide at about $1 million in annual cost if enacted.

Quotes and attribution: \"We're looking at a net of 279,566. That is, adding 20.5 professional staff and reducing service personnel by 26,\" Speaker 3 said. Speaker 6 warned a proposed bill \"would require us to add back 23 ECATs in the county, which is about a million dollars.\"

Implication: the board stressed it wants final staffing decisions tied to final state aid numbers and asked staff for itemized staffing lists and position classifications to guide transfers and hiring steps.

Ending: staff will return with a finalized staffing schedule and clear implementation steps if the board approves staffing changes in the adopted budget.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Workshop Meeting 4/3/25","oneSentenceSummary","District staff told the board that school staffing and a district office restructuring are the biggest drivers in the draft budget: school staffing shifts add a net $279,566 while administrative cuts of nine positions would save roughly $989,763.","taxTitle","BERKELEY COUNTY SCHOOLS, School Districts, West Virginia","taxId",13060,"location","West Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6088505,"Board weighs budget trade-offs and signals comfort reducing reserve to about 13% while preserving housing allowance",5830,2366000,8196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df&start=2366&end=8196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df/thumbnail_2366000.jpg","/articles/6088505/West-Virginia/Board-weighs-budget-trade-offs-and-signals-comfort-reducing-reserve-to-about-13-while-preserving-housing-allowance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088505-ef2091aba64b5f2a52c436450a012b2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770636489&Signature=CI~8kRQ~C0tzu5Y1QRuRNDfX-yxjOwvtT3kFBh5ZWWWqy5F0fBJ3BQ5QHRhjtsgvqFQhJ7adjGyBgmpfAYkI2rAItFwFsLijMLtjmAdq2GTIX041bOG0sdUYozzFH0YyV4tU499TnUXGpC~gUno6Hy7eOPwvOaUlZfrmQU6CbOrxgIAX-RnaTTY-JBu2V9EKevEgO1OYbsSEo8SL1TxEL38KPQUufv0llqZs0lSHeAdkMSN07FNz-ZU1tro7kiHF3bfVau9Z8drNtCtBr4sJ6H2CxShStl-8ln9hl~Hm7Zm9TpHJlKsdL2xWz0nGs5BL4ULGB3zsXrzJ8Y~ScOrHkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Berkeley County Schools board and staff spent much of a work session discussing how to close a gap between projected revenues and proposed spending, and flagged a likely willingness to draw reserves modestly to preserve an employee housing allowance.

Staff presented a preliminary revenue picture: a $5.6 million estimate in state aid, $3.4 million in levy revenue and roughly $2.66 million in new expenses tied to planned staffing and other changes, leaving about $747,005.53 available in the draft plan. Speaker 3, a staff presenter, said the district is \"still about 3 weeks away from getting the state of the final state aid number.\"

Why it matters: board members said they prefer to preserve the housing allowance that employees received last year, and they discussed scenarios that would cover remaining priorities without dismantling the benefit. Board discussion repeatedly returned to the need to balance classroom investments against maintaining a prudent fund balance and to avoid creating an unsustainable long-term obligation.

Most important facts: staff told the board the district currently earns about 4.34% interest on investments and that roughly 100 additional students would equal about $600,000 in additional recurring cost. Several board members and staff sketched scenarios for savings, including reverting to charge-for-meals (CEP) or changing middle-school staffing patterns; one staff presenter said reverting the child nutrition plan could recover roughly $1 million (the transcript notes $995,026 collected from parents in the prior year).

Board direction: during discussion the board president (Speaker 1) and other members signaled they were \"comfortable reducing our fund balance slightly to around 13%\" as part of a strategy to preserve the housing allowance and accommodate high-priority items (Speaker 1). No formal budget vote occurred at the work session.

What remains open: staff and the board asked for follow‑up numbers and refinements before final adoption, including a more detailed breakdown of the leadership and school-level requests and the final state aid figures.

Ending: staff said they will return with refined scenarios at the next work session so the board can set final priorities before the budget is adopted.

","The Berkeley County Schools board and staff discussed budget options for the coming year and indicated a willingness to use a modest portion of reserves to keep this year's employee housing allowance while funding several priorities.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6088496,"District launches pilot focused classroom for students with extreme behaviors; principals press for more facilitators and counselors",1100,5012000,6112000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df&start=5012&end=6112","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df/thumbnail_5012000.jpg","/articles/6088496/West-Virginia/District-launches-pilot-focused-classroom-for-students-with-extreme-behaviors-principals-press-for-more-facilitators-and-counselors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088496-e55fabe07492fe5096523a4cc5e801b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770636489&Signature=IPUVpW6fAkoU3nPyupME1dyZCyF-kyMAa~42m0T4ZCxCji2ITtqrftnwU~TJw0hicuqr8ZDHL98RkKAP-BOcT~GobBnnuNeb5SUNJConHFLTDt6dIEbtShKmsXR8xlzkJ9zaqYM~Wjsqk4lKL5fnODJZsLEVFtkKpkWWlKqbmUIMyLh395~0bXxhpkmwZxENglANHEPnuLHmzM3l8ED16MEyfgyYZu3lt0oow1LBjfZU97A5Ayom4XKSNoshfFgKdr3M~PnY69PEhfXRz2ToOljHCgfdnw6YdmQbJbfeIuc7u30JyUSNiFYKNwZ5GCqndHFgeYZNed~qhAv4YoOalw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Berkeley County Schools staff described a pilot program intended to provide intensive, wrap‑around interventions for students with extreme behaviors and urged additional staffing to reduce out‑of‑district placements.

Staff presentation and pilot: Speaker 11 described a test pilot \"over Tesco\" (pilot site name per transcript). The pilot ran with three students in the morning and three in the afternoon and relies on behavior technicians (RBTs) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to focus first on behavior rather than academics. Staff said the pilot aims to reduce expensive out‑of‑county placements and provide earlier intervention for students with significant needs. The staff estimate for a larger focused classroom was discussed at about $160,000 (staff figure cited during discussion).

Principals' request for facilitators and counselors: principals who addressed the board pressed for more school‑based supports. The Principal Association representative (Speaker 12) said principals originally requested nine student facilitators; after discussion they sought a compromise of three additional facilitators. Principals also argued for adding full‑time counselors in primary schools, noting several elementary/intermediate schools currently operate with part‑time or shared counselors. One principal said, \"I have 43% of my school in special education,\" and described the strain on a single assistant principal who must chair IEP meetings and handle 5.04 plans.

Why it matters: board members and staff linked the requests to federal compliance and to costly out‑of‑district placements. Staff noted current out‑of‑state placement spending (the transcript references a past figure of ~$370,000 receipts tied to out‑of‑county placements) and long wait lists for residential placements. Staff emphasized the program is not a guaranteed cost saver and called it an \"intervention\" to try to return students to schools when possible.

Board response: principals asked for prioritization. Board members signaled willingness to consider three facilitators and added counseling positions in the draft plan while asking staff for a detailed allocation plan showing which schools would receive positions and how splits (halftime vs. full‑time) would work.

Ending: staff said they will work with the principals association to finalize a staffing allocation plan and bring the proposal back as part of the budget adoption process.

","District staff described a pilot focused‑classroom program for students with extreme behaviors and principals asked the board to fund additional student facilitators and full‑time counselors, prioritizing elementary and intermediate schools.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6088491,"Board hears plans for summer learning, Communities in Schools expansion and child‑nutrition (CEP) tradeoffs",3013,6143000,9156000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df&start=6143&end=9156","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2880196-869e98a8f0bbcbc545c127e224ec65df/thumbnail_6143000.jpg","/articles/6088491/West-Virginia/Board-hears-plans-for-summer-learning-Communities-in-Schools-expansion-and-childnutrition-CEP-tradeoffs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6088491-11bc64102222fced0a82845c4484bddb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770636489&Signature=oUVwGVPNKeciGd2tEFDvL~b79r4L4ApfdabsdnK8mYqnARB-3jGc8xSd66-AyWV0wnrREuecfVqED3RW7ZZChVnusEvXSCfuOrdfowARp23e9HvaUiT0Jemt4pCo0hryhlY03u4AlaqlTOqRuVa4PMaOHjzTfAvlnMy0F3Qk-gus4-wFRPC-qP-KVo5u0~jIm~ohXIQ8SDEYNm6SZ7eHaE2GqMqWzMy6-p4NkmtPJWmgKKvJmATwgLuj~n3HuD3bgwa2x3B47HMSZzZ4nkA8pe7TeyAKdQepU6W6Z7tPawkjFloOipNH-Hp-jfqx4fw3eYIWToM9yttabk84QIivmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff described a three-part summer plan that includes a state‑mandated reading intervention for early grades (\"Steps to Success\" under the third‑grade success discussions), enrichment camps and expanded CTE offerings for middle‑school students. Speaker 6 said nearly 200 children had already been invited to the reading intervention pilot.

Summer programming and cost details: staff noted the program mix includes targeted reading/math intervention for students below benchmark, enrichment camps (STEM, arts, theater, partner programs) and CTE summer camps for middle‑school students at Musselman and Hedgesville (programs such as millwork, greenhouse, baking/pastry, broadcasting, hospitality and esports). The draft budget included a summer‑learning line (summer school total presented in packet ~ $587,000) but staff said some components are grant‑funded and others would be district supported.

Communities in Schools and child nutrition (CEP): staff and principals discussed maintaining seven Communities in Schools sites at an estimated total of roughly $240,000 in local support; principals argued the program provides attendance, behavior and family supports. On child nutrition, staff presented the tradeoff of districtwide CEP participation: districtwide CEP would stop collecting some parent payments but would also remove about $995,026 that had been collected from parents in the prior year; staff said the district could recover close to $1 million by reverting to charging parents but warned it would create operational changes.

Board direction: members asked staff to return with program cost breakdowns and recommended moving some items into other budget categories where possible (for example, using federal CTE funds to cover CTE camps). The board left the summer program structure generally intact but requested more granular cost and participation data; they also asked staff to model the budget with and without districtwide CEP participation given pending final state data.

Ending: staff will supply detailed line‑item costs and funding sources for summer learning, CTE camps and Communities in Schools sites before the next budget work session.

","Staff reviewed a multi-part summer learning plan tied to the state's third-grade support requirements and a range of enrichment camps; principals and staff also discussed funding for Communities in Schools sites and whether to keep or revert districtwide Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) participation for meals.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District staff propose school‑level staffing changes and administrative restructuring with nearly $1M in district‑office savings

Board weighs budget trade-offs and signals comfort reducing reserve to about 13% while preserving housing allowance

District launches pilot focused classroom for students with extreme behaviors; principals press for more facilitators and counselors

Board hears plans for summer learning, Communities in Schools expansion and child‑nutrition (CEP) tradeoffs