Dist. 303 cuts 10 administrators, more will follow

The St. Charles school board voted Monday to cut 10 administrator positions at East and North high schools -- the latest step in an ongoing reorganization that is drawing fire from teachers.

The 6-1 decision was coupled with an announcement from Superintendent Don Schlomann that he intends to eliminate four additional administrative jobs from School District 303's central office in the next few years. Schlomann did not elaborate, but said he expects to share more details next month.

Monday's board meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd of mostly teachers and parents, about a dozen of whom urged the board to delay a decision.

Several public speakers complained that Schlomann's plan was hastily put together and lacked input from most of the high school staffers it will affect when it's implemented next school year. Others demanded to see research supporting the new structure he proposed.

"It is enormously frustrating," North choir director Dale Morgan, who has been teaching in the district for eight years, told the board. "We feel disenfranchised."

Schlomann reiterated that his recommendation to eliminate 10 instructional coordinator positions and replace them with upper-level -- but lower-paying -- teaching jobs will push more resources to the classroom. He has said it will save some money, but was not proposed as a cost-saving measure.

"This is, in essence, trying to get the focus … back to improving instruction, not administrative duties," he said.

Board member Lori Linkimer cast the lone "nay" vote, saying she wasn't comfortable with the changes.

"The amount of angst that has developed makes me wonder if there wasn't something we missed in making that decision," she said, adding that her vote should not be interpreted as questioning Schlomann's leadership abilities.

Board member Bob Lindahl, a former District 303 administrator, said he could "respect staff's concern and anxiety" over the changes, but asked staff to give them the chance to work.