Naperville School District 203 administrators are recommending the full-time equivalent of 12.7 new staff members be hired for the 2024-25 school year based on enrollment data and the need for specialized classrooms.
The hiring plan was presented to the D203 School Board Monday night and is expected to add a little more than $1.1 million to the budget, according to Michael Frances, the district’s chief financial officer.
Stable enrollment at the elementary level is expected for the next five school years, according to district documents.
Next year, there will be a slight increase of about 29 more elementary students, but the district is projecting a significant increase in the number of students requiring specialized classrooms and English Learner services, documents said.
The district is anticipating needing four fewer early childhood staff members and will shift staffing to support specialized programs at the elementary level, where they are expected to fill about seven new positions.
Junior high school enrollment also is also expected to be stable but with a projected slight increase annually for the next five years.
Next year, officials want to add about two new staff members at the junior high school level.
According to district documents, there is an increasing demand for English Learner services and enrollment in honors and Project Idea Plus math courses. The Project Idea Plus, or PI+, is for top performing students from fourth to eighth grades. More math teachers are needed to ensure the schools stay within their recommended class sizes, officials said.
High school staffing allocations are driven by student course selection, said Chala Holland, assistant superintendent for administrative services.
Projected increases are due to increases in staff for math, business, fine and applied arts, drivers education and career internships, and the district is anticipating adding the full-time equivalent of 4.4 positions.
“More students (are) choosing courses rather than study halls,” Holland said. “So we are seeing a significant increase in course enrollment.”
Courses are also audited on a yearly basis to determine which should be added or dropped and staff reassigned, Superintendent Dan Bridges said.
The staffing recommendations are what the administration believes are needed to best meet the district’s goals, Bridges said.
“Staffing decisions that are made are based on a multitude of factors,” he said. “X number of kids show up. Within parameters set by the board as well as space considerations at each facility, it’s pretty much a mathematical equation on how many teachers we are going to need. However, we may look at other indicators about student performance such as behaviors, or need to support teachers and look at adding a variety of specialized positions.”
Financial considerations are also considered since every staff position added has long-term cost as well, Bridges said.
District-wide, about three new staff members would be needed due to an increase in need for specialized services such as speech and language, occupational therapy, and psychological and social work services, officials said.
“There are pieces, but just like any big puzzle, you have different pieces that come together to create a whole picture,” board member Charles Cush said. All the components, including student behavior, school improvement plans and student assessments, help the district figure out where staff is needed.
The board is expected to vote on increased staffing levels at its March 18 meeting.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
