Hamilton County Schools is rolling out a new model for the staffing and funding of its schools that will give principals the autonomy, flexibility, and resources to better meet the individual needs of students throughout the district.
The new student-based budgeting plan includes a proposed addition of $25 million in funding that would be allocated directly to schools for student-facing staff. It also gives principals a greater voice in determining type and level of specialized support positions at their schools.
According to HCS Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson, the changes are in response to several factors, including stakeholder concerns about the needs of students raised during development of the district’s new strategic plan and the diminishing teacher pipeline available to school districts. Robertson says now is the time to reimagine how student supports are allocated and provided.
“We repeatedly heard several needs as we talked with various groups across the district,” Robertson said. “We were told students need more wellness supports, and that teachers and schools need more support and flexibility for addressing student behavior. We know there are students with significant needs in every school, and we believe principals need more autonomy, flexibility, and resources to respond to those student needs.”
The biggest change associated with this week’s announcement is a new staffing model for schools that will give principals the ability to tailor their staffs to meet the student needs in their schools. Much like the state’s new TISA school funding plan that allocates funding based on student needs, the HCS student-based budgeting system will be used to determine resources for school staffing.
Each school will receive base staffing for its core operations, including academic press and personalization, and a supplemental allocation to use for student-facing positions. Funding for the supplemental allocations will come from reimagining base staffing and an additional investment of $25 million. Those dollars will come from throughout the district’s budget and new state dollars from the TISA funding plan.
Outside of base staffing allocations, supplemental allocations for each school will be determined using a formula to provide an amount per student in each of six categories:
- Enrollment
- Economically Disadvantaged
- Non-Proficient (Spring 2022)
- Concentrated Poverty
- Exceptional Education*
- English Learner*
* Additional centralized funds are available to support the individual needs of our exceptional education students and English learners. These allocations are on top of any additional centralized support.
Supplemental allocations allow for dollars to follow the needs of each student regardless of where they are enrolled. By using their supplemental allocations to fund specific positions needed at their schools, Robertson says principals will be able to address student needs more effectively.
“Every school has different students and different needs,” Robertson said. “We have heard and recognize that personalization is essential for high-quality learning for all students, and we know that student well-being is foundational to student success. We value the leadership of our principals, and with the investment we are making, the new staffing model will increase their guided autonomy, flexibility, and ownership of their school programs. At the end of the day, we believe these changes will better serve our students and our community.”
Principals received their first look at the new staffing model earlier this month, and they will spend the next 30 days working with their community superintendents to build their staffing plans for the 2023-24 school year. By March 1, staffing decisions will be finalized and job postings for the next school year will begin.