School district eliminates principal position

Looking into the face of an additional budget cut of $2 million to $3 million over the next biennium, the Sisters School District has eliminated one more staff position for the next school year: the principal at Sisters Elementary School.

One year ago there were six administrators in the district; now there are three. The district eliminated a special education administrator position and did not hire a vice-principal at the high school after Mark Stewart was tapped for the job as interim Sisters Middle School Principal.

Freshman Superintendent Jim Golden is hoping that proposed shared services with the High Desert Educational Service District (ESD) will help backfill for the reduction in support staff.

"All parts of business will be affected (by the budget cuts) but we will keep as many of the cuts away from the classroom as possible in order to honor the local option and keep our class sizes as small as possible," Golden said. "We are small enough and I have enough expertise that we are going to have a lead teacher at the elementary school, and because of the savings on administration, some retirements and some reductions in force we are going to do our very best to offer all-day kindergarten next year," said Golden.

The district is proposing to try to cut as deeply as possible this year so that next year they don't have to cut. Golden feels that the district is in a tenuous spot right now, with flat enrollment.

"In school finance there are three rules," said Golden. "Growing is the best and only sustainable model. Staying the same (flat enrollment) you fall behind because of roll-up costs, and losing enrollment you fall further behind."

Jan Silberman has been Sisters Elementary School's Principal since August of 2005. Silberman has not taught in the district and therefore is not eligible to return to the teaching ranks, and there are no open administrative jobs in the district.