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 receive Morse’s plan at its meeting at 8 tonight in Room 250 at Portland Arts and Technology High School. 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, 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 is talking with city officials about the possibility of having them supervise human resources for the school district and 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).
• Maintenance supervisor ($42,373).
Special Education Director Barbara Dee has come under fire since a consultant’s report in January 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 programs would be overseen by two coordinators, whom he hopes to appoint from the current staff at no increased cost.
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).
• Curriculum coordinator for literacy and the humanities ($92,000).
Morse will seek permission to advertise the chiefs’ positions at tonight’s committee meeting.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at: kbouchard@pressherald.com
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