Following the departures of Oregon-Davis High School’s principal and assistant principal/athletic director, their duties may be absorbed by some existing staff members. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman presented an administrative restructuring proposal to the school board and dozens of community members Monday.
Harman would take over as high school principal while also remaining superintendent. Andrew Carlin would become the assistant principal while continuing to teach three agriculture classes. Newly-hired math teacher Jerry Miller would teach four classes each morning, then serve as athletic director for the remainder of the day. Guidance Counselor B.J. Awald would help with teacher evaluation.
Harman said the driving force behind the proposal is lowering costs. “This reorganization will reduce expenditures by over $100,000,” he said. “This reduction in expenditures could possibly allow the corporation the flexibility and opportunity to address our employees’ salaries and wages. My proposal is not long-term.”
Harman said he wouldn’t be asking for a pay raise for his additional duties. “My salary as superintendent is $95,000,” he said. “I am not asking for any more money. All I’m doing is putting more responsibility as the superintendent and high school building principal.” The other new administrators would see an increase, though.
Some of the board members voiced concerns with the plan. Kyle Hinds thought Harman’s time could better be spent addressing the school’s declining enrollment. “I have concerns that with the superintendent doing a principal’s role also, that enough time would not be allowed for budget, enrollment, recruitment, grant opportunities, some of the things that I’ve been thinking about,” Hinds said. He felt a better option might be to have one principal oversee the elementary and high schools.
Board President Chris Lawrence was a bit more open to Harman’s proposal. “Is this the ideal situation? Probably not,” Lawrence said. “The best thing would be to have a principal in each building and an assistant principal and a full-time athletic director and a full-time counselor. That’s not in our budget right now.”
The Oregon-Davis School Board is expected to vote on the high school administrative restructuring during an upcoming meeting. If it’s approved, Superintendent Harman said his plan is to reevaluate it before the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
