2024-25 Administrative Staffing Reductions

April 22, 2024

Dear Northshore Staff: 

Northshore School District must eliminate $26 million in expenses for the 2024-25 school year to balance our budget. To meet a reduction of this size requires the elimination of staff positions. We are committed to transparency with our colleagues and the broader Northshore community as we make staffing reductions across the district. 

This is the second communication regarding staffing reductions. The first, shared in December, was about NSD Administration Center position reductions. 

Today’s communication outlines changes to school administrative staffing. In total, two and a half Assistant Principal positions will be eliminated for the 2024-25 school year. This is in addition to 7 and a half Administrative Center positions, currently held by a number of individuals with school administrator credentials. Elimination of these positions does not mean the affected individuals no longer work for Northshore; depending on their experience and or seniority (length of time in the profession) they may serve students and families in another school. 

School leader staffing is affected by the following factors: 

• Seniority of administrative staff and grade level experience as outlined in the negotiated agreements with our administrators.

• Implementation of a needs-based staffing formula. 

  • This formula allocates administrative staff beyond the school principal and includes Assistant Principal and Deans. The formula is responsive to student enrollment, demographics of each school, and the existence of school programs or services that require additional administrative support. 

Because of the elimination of assistant principal and central office administrator positions, there will be movement of personnel across our schools. This is in addition to the typical and annual movement of staff. Details of the 2024-25 administrative assignments are anticipated to be communicated broadly at the end of June, as is our normal practice. 

Below you will find a summary of the changes in administrative positions at each impacted school. Because there have been a number of staffing shifts in alignment with contractual agreements, the name of each of the 2024-25 impacted schools is provided. The affected staff have already been notified. If you don’t see a school listed, it means there haven’t been any administrative position reductions as part of the 2024-25 budget development process. 

Changes to School Administrative Staffing

• Crystal Springs: elimination of .5 Assistant Principal Position
• Frank Love: elimination of .5 Assistant Principal Position
• Moorlands: elimination of .5 Assistant Principal Position
• Ruby Bridges: elimination of 1.0 Assistant Principal Position, addition of 1.0 Dean of Students

To learn more, please visit the 2024-25 Budget Development process webpage, where you can find a timeline, resources, and public budget development presentations. 

I also want to acknowledge how challenging this news may be for our school communities, staff, and families, and how impacts will be felt in our schools. 

Despite these challenging times, Northshore will remain focused on providing our students - who continue to show up every day ready to learn - with outstanding public schools, services, and support. And, as promised, I will continue to share our story with the state, impressing upon our elected officials how underfunding of public education is impacting our students,  staff, families, and the broader community. 

 Michael Tolley

Superintendent