Employees who hold those positions will be reassigned to other administrative duties or demoted to a teaching position effective with the 2011-2012 school year. All of the employees will receive a corresponding pay cut, said Pam Twidwell, deputy superintendent in charge of transition.

The administrative overhaul will save the district more than $500,000 in personnel costs for the 2011-12 school year.

In a prepared statement, Twidwell said, “We certainly realize it is our entire team that must shoulder the need to reduce costs; however, we are united in the belief that the initial steps must begin at the central office and site administrative level.”

Further cuts through attrition and temporary teacher contracts are expected, Twidwell said after the meeting. No career teaching jobs are in jeopardy, she said.

Additionally, district officials plan to evaluate all service contracts in an attempt to reduce costs of day-to-day operations at all schools. District officials have said the national economic downturn, reductions in state aid, loss of federal stimulus money and rising health insurance premiums forced the reorganization effort.

Among the positions that were eliminated are the assistant superintendent for curriculum, which is held by Katherine Hughes, and the assistant superintendent of personnel, which is held by Steve Allen. Hughes was reassigned as executive director of student services and homeless while Allen was reassigned as assistant superintendent for Mid-Del’s Career Tech program. The current Career Tech assistant superintendent is retiring.

Twidwell will assume curriculum duties and deputy superintendent Pam Deering will assume personnel duties.

Additionally, the directors of facility services and student services will be reassigned and those positions eliminated. Three high school assistant principal positions, four middle school assistant principal jobs and the high school principal for alternative education will be eliminated. Five curriculum coordinators and two API trainer positions will also be cut.

NO TURN DOWNS
So far, none of the affected employees have turned down their new jobs, Twidwell said.

“Every situation is unique. I would believe in some instances that people leaving is a reality. Some may be able to weather the storm differently,” she said.

Twidwell is confident the administrative reorganization plan will be successful.

“I’m a half-glass full type of person and I expect it to work. There’s no rhyme or reason you go into this and not expect it to work,” she said. “Things will certainly look different, but we will maintain the same quality of services. We know people can do more with less.”

Prior to voting on the work force reduction plan, school board members Jimmie Nolen and Leroy Porter made some emotional comments about the reorganization.

“I can’t let this be voted on without saying this is budgetary only and is not performance-based,” Nolen said. “Demoted in this context does not mean people were not doing their jobs. We have such talent here and I hate that we are going to lose some of you.”

Porter said, “Most of the people on this list I know personally. You all are so much appreciated, but unfortunately, we have to do something.”

Board members met in executive session for about 55 minutes before voting on the plan in open session.

The administrative reorganization is one of several steps the district is taking to cut costs. On April 1, district officials accepted bids on three school properties, including Sooner-Rose Elementary and Traub Elementary. Board members will decide at their April 11 meeting whether to accept the bids and sell the property.

OTHER OPTIONS
Additional school closings are possible if Mid-Del officials follow a plan that was part of a defeated $190.9 million bond issue in December 2010. If the bond issue had passed, six schools would have closed and the bond money would have funded the construction of four new elementary schools and improvements to five others, including Del Crest and Monroney middle schools, where sixth-grade wings would have been constructed. Slated for closure were Sooner-Rose Elementary, Traub Elementary, Highland Park Elementary, Steed Elementary, Jarman Middle School and Kerr Middle School.

Administrators, their current jobs and their reassigned positions:
•    Katherine Hughes, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Reassigned to new position as executive director of student services-homeless.
•    Steve Allen, assistant superintendent of personnel. Reassigned as assistant superintendent of career technology.
•    Richard Frazier, director of facility services. Reassigned as director of career technology.
•    Rick Mendenhall, director of student services. Reassigned to new position as director of human resources.

Those demoted to teaching positions (with current title listed) include:
•    Brian Eccellente, science curriculum director
•    Kartina McDaniel, early childhood curriculum director
•    Cindy Anderson, API trainer
•    Shonda Ballard, API trainer
•    Rich Mullins, high school alternative education principal
•    Amber Reid, assistant middle school principal
•    Sheila Wilson, assistant middle school principal
•    Jacob Freer, assistant middle school principal
•    Dale Didlot, assistant middle school principal

Curriculum coordinators for social studies, fine arts and guidance-dropout prevention are retiring. Those positions will be eliminated.

One high school assistant principal position will be eliminated from Carl Albert, Midwest City and Del City. Because of retirement and resignations, no current employees will be demoted.
tfarley@eastword.net