PORTLAND — A plan to reorganize the school district’s top administrative positions would save nearly $38,000 in salaries and benefits, according to Superintendent Jim Morse.

The School Committee is scheduled to formally receive Morse’s plan at its regular business meeting at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Room 250 at Portland Arts and Technology High School on Allen Avenue. The committee will discuss and vote on the plan at a future meeting.

Morse’s plan would do away with six positions in the coming school year that are worth a total of $553,785 in salaries and benefits. It would create five new positions that would cost an estimated $516,000 in salaries and benefits.

Positions to be eliminated include assistant superintendent ($107,112) and human resources director ($102,221), both of which will be vacant because of planned retirements.

Morse said he’s talking with city officials about the possibility of having them supervise human resources for the school district and possibly take over the responsibility in the future.

Other targeted positions are: coordinator of benefits and public safety ($103,548), educational planning director ($99,455), special education director ($99,076), and maintenance supervisor ($42,373).

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Special Education Director Barbara Dee has come under fire in recent weeks after a consultant’s report blamed her for a variety of problems in the district’s special education programs. She and Morse have declined to comment on personal criticism in the report.

Morse said special education would be overseen by two coordinators, whom he hopes to hire from existing staff at no increased cost to the district.

Positions to be created are chief academic officer ($122,000), chief finance officer ($110,000), chief operations officer ($100,000), curriculum coordinator for science and math ($92,000), and curriculum coordinator for literacy and the humanities ($92,000).

Morse will seek permission at Wednesday’s committee meeting to advertise the chiefs’ positions.


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