An Upper Adams School Board member stood at odds with administrators this week over a request to add an assistant principal to the middle/high school campus.
At the school board committee meeting Tuesday, administrators recommended replacing the vacant dean of students position with a secondary assistant principal who would serve the middle and high schools.
Late last school year, the dean of students requested and was approved to transfer into a vacant science teaching position, according to Superintendent Todd Dishong. When the dean of students position became vacant, administrators considered ways the position could be restructured. On Tuesday, Dishong said they would recommend replacing the dean of students position with an assistant principal, using the funds already budgeted for the role.
Director of Business Operations Shelley Hobbs noted the assistant principal would cost the district approximately $2,700 more. She said the figure would be prorated for this year based on their start date.
“It’s not creating a new position,” Dishong said, but “retitling” the role.
An assistant principal, unlike a dean of students, would have greater ability to assist with student discipline, safety, attendance, and staff oversight, he said. An assistant principal could conduct classroom observations and evaluations to help teachers improve, Dishong said. In addition, he said this particular assistant principal would also work on outreach to local cyber and charter school families to see if those students might consider attending public school.
The assistant principal would not fall under the teachers’ union contract, while a dean of students would, according to Dishong. The assistant principal could work outside of typical school hours and cover additional events.
The secondary campus currently has a high school principal, middle school principal and one secondary assistant principal.
School board member Tricia Plank said based on student enrollment she did not see the need to hire a dean of students or assistant principal. Bermudian Springs School District, she said, has slightly more students than Upper Adams but has six administrators across kindergarten through 12th grade, whereas Upper Adams would have eight if an assistant principal or dean of students is hired.
“I struggle with the fact that we have a little bit less enrollment than they do,” Plank said. “I struggle with how a district our size needs eight [administrators] when a comparable school district can do it with six.”
Assistant Superintendent Joseph Albin said school districts have different resources and infrastructure. For example, another district may have more staff or certain staff who are qualified to meet multiple roles, allowing more flexibility.
Board member Kay Hollabaugh cautioned against comparing Upper Adams to other schools.
“I think we have to be careful comparing our district to other districts,” Hollabaugh said. “We don’t know if it’s working well for them.”
Hollabaugh expressed concern over the possibility of adding more to the workload of the existing principals and assistant principal.
“They’re some of the highest paid people in the district,” Plank countered. “I feel like those are the individuals who should be doing more with less.”
Plank said she would be more inclined to consider conversations surrounding additional classroom resources or hiring more teachers because she believes they affect the students “directly.”
Dishong said students would feel the effects if the role goes unfilled.
“When we take away quality folks and add to the plate of other people, yes, it’s going to impact students,” he said. “Things will fall through the cracks, and we won’t be able to be as proactive with the issues with our students as we need to be.”
Dishong said he believes hiring a secondary assistant principal would be the best choice for Upper Adams.
“While it will impact us, it really is about student learning, and it’s about the kids, because it will filter down to the kids and filter down to teachers,” high school Principal Beth Graham said. “We’re not asking to have our workloads lightened.”
Middle school Principal Shane Brewer said discipline can take up a large portion of administrators’ time, and an assistant principal would be able to help. For example, an assistant principal could suspend a student on their own, he said. A dean of students would need approval from a principal. In addition, Brewer said it is best practice for administrators to have two-on-one conversations with a student when there is an incident.
Graham noted Brewer spends over an hour each day monitoring the cafeteria, while that time could be used fulfilling other duties.
Dishong said he believes “the most valuable thing” administrators can do is be in the classroom observing teachers and providing feedback. A principal on lunch duty is not in a position to help teachers do that, he said.
Board member Heather Young-Cover said they should consider creative solutions before “flippantly” spending money on a high-salary role. Perhaps part-time lunch observers or bus monitors could be of assistance, she suggested.
Board member Susan Crouse said she would not be in favor of leaving the role vacant, whether it be a dean of students or assistant principal.
Board President Neil Weigle expressed concern over administrators being stretched thin on student discipline. Graham said there were times they had to choose which disciplinary cases to take on. Brewer said there have been one-on-one conversations with students instead of two-on-one. Weigle views the former as a “red flag.”
Board member Loren Lustig said though he is concerned about finances, he would not want to see administrators face extra pressure that could lead to duties being neglected. He was particularly concerned by Dishong stating that “things will fall through the cracks.”
Hollabaugh, along with fellow board members Gerald Walmer and Jim Lady, supported hiring an assistant principal.
Board member Marya Djalal, who attended the meeting virtually, asked how the teacher shortage nationwide affects the situation.
Albin said there are considerably less candidates applying compared to the past, and teachers are more transient now. Burnout can often be attributed to teachers not feeling supported, Graham added.
Throughout the discussion Tuesday, Plank remained firm in her position that the enrollment numbers do not justify hiring an assistant secondary principal or dean of students.
As it was a committee meeting, board members did not vote on the decision Tuesday. The next voting meeting is set for Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.
Mary Grace Kauffman, freelance reporter, worked six years as a full-time reporter for newspapers in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She has covered topics including business, crime, education, government and features. Mary Grace has a bachelor's degree in communication/journalism from Shippensburg University. She resides in Adams County.