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District 161 board OKs staffing plan, reviews change orders

The plan for staffing Flossmoor School District 161 next school year will involve some shifting of certified positions, according to a plan adopted Monday, March 12, by the board of education.

The plan for staffing Flossmoor School District 161 next school year will involve some shifting of certified positions, according to a plan adopted Monday, March 12, by the board of education.

Superintendent Dana Smith introduced the plan at a special meeting on Feb. 26. He noted that several positions would be eliminated, including one full-time equivalent in art, music, physical education and the STEM Depot.

“None of these reductions will negatively impact our instructional programs,” Smith said.

The plan also calls for adding full-time equivalent positions, including one FTE instructional coach, one FTE social worker and one FTE English language arts teacher, all at Parker Junior High School. One FTE kindergarten teacher position at Heather Hill School is on hold pending registration numbers.

“Overall, I anticipate that our 2018-19 staffing will be very similar to our 2017-18 numbers,” Smith said.  

The board also heard a report from representatives of Green Associates, the architecture firm for the districtwide life safety project, regarding change orders.

The board voted early last year to spend $960,000 on the project that included door replacements and other improvements to 800 openings throughout the district facilities. 

Several pending change orders would exceed the project’s $75,000 contingency fund by more than $45,000. 

“I’m not sure we’ve ever blown through a contingency to this extent,” said board member John Simmons.

George W. Reigle, a principal of Green Associates, said the additional costs were due to unforeseeable factors in some of the facilities, including some cases where entire door frames had to be replaced because of conditions that weren’t evident before work began.

Board member Cameron Nelson asked the firm to provide a written report of the changes so the board can study it and come up with questions.

 

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