The Martin County School District plans to cut district staff as part of a reorganization for the upcoming school year, saving nearly $4 million from next year's budget. Superintendent Michael Maine told WPTV the plan includes eliminating 16 administrative and district-level positions, which includes three assistant principal positions and removing 42 unfilled instructional vacancies. Maine said 10 of those vacancies were held in reserve, contingent on increasing enrollment. Maine said the reorganization is eliminating positions he felt are no longer needed at the district office. The changes are expected to save about $3.9 million from the district's projected budget next school year.
The Martin County School District currently enrolls 16,000 students. Maine said the goal is to protect classroom resources while streamlining operations at the district level. Maine said the cuts reflect how the district routinely manages staffing each year by looking at the number of students that are projected and allocating based on those projections. Abigal, whose son will be a fourth grader at Jensen Beach Elementary this fall, said she values the small class sizes and close teacher relationships the district currently offers. She said she hopes the district is careful about how deep the cuts go.