The De Soto Board of Education has restructured some of the school district’s administrative roles.
School board members decided on Jan. 4 to reinstate the former assistant superintendent of operations position and eliminate two positions: director of human resources and dean of students.
Those changes follow previous district announcements that Superintendent Josh Isaacson will retire on June 30, and Ron Farrow, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, will take over that job on July 1.
The assistant superintendent of operation position was eliminated in 2018.
“Since that time, the district added a director of human resources (one of the jobs being eliminated) and a teaching, learning and communication specialist, and has increased salaries multiple times for various roles throughout central office to compensate for the new responsibilities being added,” Farrow said. “When considering a reorganization, we looked at the following goals: consolidating roles under a new central administrative position for increased efficiency; reducing multiple responsibilities on director positions that can spread the roles thin; and (reducing) overall administrative salary costs.”
He said the new assistant superintendent of operations will oversee discipline and absorb the current human resources duties and the safety and security responsibilities that the transportation director has been handling.
“This consolidates key operational areas under this assistant role, while reducing some of the additional responsibilities that have been added to the director positions over the years, allowing more focus and support in those areas,” Farrow said.
The De Soto district has begun seeking applications to fill both the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction job Farrow will be leaving and the new assistant superintendent of operations positions.
Both positions have a starting annual salary at $120,000.
The restructuring means the loss of the director of human resources job on June 30. Christina Kasmarzik currently holds that position.
“We want to give a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Kasmarzik for her commitment and dedication to the human resources department during her time with us,” Farrow said. “We wish her nothing but success in her future endeavors.”
Kasmarzik is being paid $76,581.25 this school year.
Farrow said Matt Deaton, a high school assistant principal, has resigned to spend more time with his family, so the district will shift assistant principal positions around “to fill this position internally” and eliminate the dean of students position through attrition.
He said Zeb Hammond, currently a junior high assistant principal, will take the open assistant principal job at the high school, and Nick Stearns, currently dean of students, will become a junior high assistant principal. Stearns is being paid $60,500 as dean of students, while the junior high assistant principal position pays $75,575.
“Last year, there was discussion on the reduction of the dean of students at the elementary level,” he said. “Since the dean of students position was added (in 2020-2021), the elementary levels have seen a reduction of over 175 students.”
Farrow said the reorganization will save the district just more than $90,000 next school year. “This continues to support the district in long-term financial health, allows for improved support of teachers and students through an increased focus in these positions, and the ability to maintain lower class sizes for an additional year, continuing our positive trajectory.”
Farrow said the board also recently voted to keep the same class sizes for the 2024-2025 school year as the prior two years.
“The current BOE desirable class sizes were adopted at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year with an intent to utilize ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency) funding to decrease class sizes for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years,” he said. “As we approach the end of FY24 and the end of ESSER funding, it is important to take a look at future needs and make decisions on any adjustments that may be needed to class sizes.”
The “desirable” class sizes are 17 students for kindergarten through second grade; 20 for third and fourth grade; 22 for fifth and sixth grade; and 30 for seventh through 12th grade.
Farrow said the district also is seeking applications for a position left vacant a couple of years ago when Deana Pope left the teaching, learning and communication (TLC) specialist position (created in 2018) to become director of technology.
“While the intent was always to replace that position, it has not yet occurred due to small candidate pools and a focus on the technology director position,” Farrow said. “This gap has been felt in a decrease in the instructional technology support to teachers that the TLC role provided.”
The TLC position will be modified, though, and called director of communications digital learning and chief grant writer.
“This role will be responsible for coordinating communications throughout the district, as well as providing instructional technology support in all our buildings,” he said. “This role will also be the chief grant writer for the district. The expectation will be to write and receive at least $100,000 in grants per year, which will not only provide additional opportunities for students and staff, but also will more than compensate for the salary.”
Farrow said the district’s focus is to continue supporting the teaching staff with tools, resources and structures needed to help each child find success.
“I am excited for this new structure and confident that we will find the right people for each position to effectively support our district staff for continued success,” he said.