Administrators presented updated enrollment projections and a staffing request tied to rising special-education caseloads during the Feb. 12 board meeting.

Dr. Andrews (presented enrollment projections in the transcript) reviewed building-by-building enrollment and said several elementary cohorts are near capacity and that the district expects larger cohorts to roll into the middle and high schools over the next few years. He described space-maximization steps schools have taken — repurposing intervention and related-services spaces, using partitions, and moving noninstructional activities — to accommodate increased enrollment.

Doctor Hastings (presented special-education staffing in the transcript) told the board that changes made this year — including reinstituting instructional programs — reduced some resource caseloads, but rising numbers in life-skills and autism supports require targeted staffing shifts. She requested the board authorize three additional positions: one special-education teacher, one psychologist and one social worker. The district estimated the total annual cost for the three positions at about $200,000, pending final salary and benefits calculations. Hastings said reassigning two current teachers to itinerant roles will address some needs and that one new hire is needed to staff a new skills classroom at the high school.

Board members asked about the size of evaluation caseloads and how many additional students prompted the request; Hastings said teams still would carry substantial caseloads even with the new positions (an average of roughly 65 evaluations per team if a 15-person increase were approved). Trustees asked whether additional grant or other outside funding had been pursued; staff said they would pursue grants where appropriate but recommended conservative staffing increases aligned with demonstrated need.

No formal staffing vote was recorded in open session during this meeting; the request was discussed and staff indicated a budget estimate of roughly $200,000 annually if the board chose to fund the three positions.