The Kent School District (KSD) announced 45 central administration center positions were eliminated for the 2018-19 school year. The positions eliminated encompass a range of roles and responsibilities in the central administration center, including 12 leadership positions. This reduction and reorganization is one of the strategies KSD is implementing to move forward and represents a net savings of approximately $4 million.
The reorganization and reductions made at KSD are part of the District’s budget recovery process. In addition to the reductions in force, compensation at the central administration center will also be impacted beginning in the 2018-19 school year. Non-represented administrators will not receive a cost of living increase, and non-represented non-administrators will not move up a step on the salary schedule for a second year in a row. Additionally, non-represented central administration employees will see a reduction of benefits in the 18-19 fiscal year.
Going into the 2017-18 school year as part of the KSD Budget recovery plan, the district made $8 million worth of planned budget reductions and budgeting efficiencies, and through attrition were able to reduce nearly 90 full time positions. With these efforts, KSD is projected to end August 2018, with a positive fund balance.
“The reduction in our workforce is not an issue of personnel performance, these changes were carefully considered over an extended period and took into account our responsibility to be good fiscal stewards of voter approved dollars while ensuring that we are on course with our strategic plan and shared vision of higher standards for our students and ourselves,” said Superintendent, Dr. Calvin Watts.
