Dist. 303 trims 10 administrator positions

Ten St. Charles high school administrators were notified this week their positions are likely to be cut, and even more jobs might be on the line.

The shake-up was announced at a District 303 staff meeting Tuesday, Superintendent Don Schlomann said.

For now, the cuts affect 10 administrative instructional coordinators split evenly between St. Charles East and North high schools. Schlomann said Wednesday more reductions could be on the way.

"Maybe," he said. "But any additional reductions in administrative staff, I believe, can be done through attrition."

This is the first major administrative overhaul since Schlomann was hired in July and immediately restructured his administrative cabinet, which saw numerous resignations and retirements under previous school chief Barbara Erwin.

Calling it a "tough decision," Schlomann said the latest cuts are part of an ongoing restructuring effort that aims to improve how teachers are held accountable for classroom instruction and general performance.

Instructional coordinators oversee department budgets, make recommendations for improving teaching methods and evaluate teachers.

Starting in the 2008-09 school year, those positions would be replaced by lower-paid "master teachers," Schlomann said. Those teachers still will have input into teaching methods but no longer will evaluate the teachers they mentor.

"It will be a more collegial atmosphere overall," Schlomann said.

Schlomann said each of the instructional coordinators has been offered the lower-paying, union teaching jobs.

The move is expected to save the district some money, but Schlomann said he didn't know how much.

"It will depend on whether people take us up on the teaching positions or leave the district," he said. "There will be some cost savings, but that's not why we did it. We felt it was in the best interest of our students and teachers."

Schlomann added that public comments at a recent community meeting, where residents indicated they believe the district has too many administrators, played into his decision. He said the school board is aware of the cuts and could approve them as early as February.

"Anytime you affect people's lives like this, it's a tough decision," he said. "We have a lot of respect for these people."