FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — Fayetteville Superintendent Matthew Wendt outlined a reorganization of the district’s central administration at a Board of Education work session on Wednesday (April 5).
The reorganization includes the addition of two executive directors, the elimination of four district administrative positions and the reassignment of the district’s instructional facilitators.
A press release from the school district said no additional tax dollars will be spent to reorganize the leadership team and the new structure will be supported by a reallocation of the current administrative budget.
“The primary goal of this reorganization is to provide a more efficient and effective leadership team for the same or lower costs,” Wendt said.
The new executive directors monitor the district’s academic programming, curriculum review and implementation cycle, program directors and be responsible for the supervision and evaluation of all principals.
“Fayetteville Public Schools expects principals to be the chief academic officer of their school,” Wendt said. “Utilizing human resources staff to evaluate principals is an outdated model. We will shift from human resources personnel to academic personnel overseeing principals.”
Four district administrative positions will be cut from central administration, including the Directors of Science, Social Science, Literacy and Mathematics. The district said the math position has been vacant all school year.
The district said the three administrators in the science, literacy, and mathematics positions will be transferred within the district, if they desire. Personnel who have reported to these positions will now report directly to principals.
The reorganization also includes changes to the Chief Financial Officer and the Executive Director of Information Systems positions, which the district said are currently vacant. The Chief Financial Officer position will be changed to the Director of Finance and Business Services. The salary will be decreased, and the individual will serve on the leadership team with directors, rather than the Superintendent’s Executive Team.
“We have internal auditors and external auditors. We have financial advisors. We have the expertise to assist the Superintendent and the Board of Education, and I am confident in the current personnel within the Department of Finance. We will employ a leader with experience, vision, and a strong desire to assist others with departmental and school budgets. I am confident a person will be recruited and hired to lead the department at a lower salary than previously paid,” Wendt said.
The position of Executive Director of Information Systems will be divided into two positions, the Director of Information Systems & Technology, who will oversee the operations infrastructure; and the Director of Professional Development and Training, who will direct integration of technology into classrooms and lead training for classified personnel.
“Reorganizing the central office will not cost more money. These adjustments are about reallocating money – not spending more money,” Wendt said. “My intent is to use new and/or available revenue to hire more teachers and increase the salaries and wages of our employees. I look forward to working on those tasks throughout April and May.”
