WESTBROOK – The superintendent of Westbrook schools is eliminating four administrative positions – including the assistant superintendent – for about a $500,000 savings, in anticipation of a decrease in funds from the state.

Superintendent Reza Namin rolled out his plan to reorganize the department’s administration at a School Committee meeting Oct. 21. The board unanimously supported the plan.

Effective July 1, Namin is eliminating the director of student services, held by Tim Walker; the gifted and talented coordinator, held by Kathy Legett; and the curriculum facilitator, held by Cynthia Martin, as well as the assistant superintendent, Jan Breton. The salaries for those positions total about $340,000.

As of Jan. 1, Breton will take over as interim transportation director when Penny Esposito, the current director, retires. That move will save the department about $29,000. Namin said he’ll later consider his options for filling that position permanently in July.

Including an estimated savings of about $120,000 in benefits for the four positions being eliminated, the department will realize total gains of about $500,000.

Namin said both he and principals of each of the city’s schools will take on additional responsibilities. Some of the duties that fall under the positions eliminated will be performed by the student support services director, which will oversee special education, guidance counselors, nurses and social workers. That position will be held by Debbie Peck, who is currently the director of special education.

“This is not just cutting positions,” Namin said Thursday. “This is effective organization programming.”

By combining several departments into one student services department, Namin said, the school will more effectively be able to “track our students academically and emotionally.”

Namin said the school is expecting a decrease of about $592,000 in state funds in the coming year.

Last year, Westbrook received a little more than $12 million from the state, after a curtailment of about $414,000 that came as part of an executive order from Gov. John Baldacci to cut $80 million from the state budget. Much of that curtailment was later restored through stimulus funds, however.

Namin took over as superintendent this summer when Stan Sawyer, who held the job for the past 10 years, retired. Namin, who started at a salary of $125,000, said he will forgo his own raise next year.

There will be other areas where Namin will continue looking for savings. The school’s business manager, Michael Kucsma, recently took a position with the Sanford School Department. Namin said he will “start a conversation with the city to investigate all possibilities, such as having a chief financial officer for both the city and schools.” Kucsma will finish up in Westbrook at the beginning of November.

Namin also said he’s implemented a “soft freeze” on spending, meaning he’s asked administrators “to keep a close eye on each line item they’re responsible for,” he said.

Within the next few months, he said, he may have to completely freeze spending.

“It’s better to try to put off anything but essential spending now,” School Committee Chairman Greg Smith said at the meeting last week. “Then we don’t have to run around in a panic.”

Board members said cutting the administrative positions was a difficult but necessary decision.

“It’s not been an easy process,” said School Committee member Colleen Hilton.

But, she added, “We feel comfortable and confident this plan will serve our students well.”