The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Your January 22nd issue contained an article about possible cuts being considered by the Warrensburg R-VI school board in the event that all the money they want from the state isn’t received. What I found interesting was that all of the cuts related to programs and personnel; none involved management. Liberals castigate private sector corporations for rewarding highly-paid managers while laying off workers. I guess it’s OK for the public sector schools to sustain management while taking the cuts closer to the students.

The real question, I guess, is just how much overhead a school system needs. According to the R-VI website (warrensburg.k12.mo.us), the central office staff includes a superintendent (with administrative assistant), two assistant superintendents (each with administrative assistant), a special programs director (with administrative assistant), a community relations liaison, and housekeeping and facilities directors. There’s also an instructional technology coordinator, a computer systems manager and technician, payroll manager, bookkeeper, food service people, secretary and nurse. The system has its own foundation and it has a director.

The high school, with an enrollment of 954, has a principal, 2 assistant principals, an athletic director, 2 counselors and an “A+ coordinator.” The support staff includes 13 people, not counting kitchen staff and janitors. The middle school, enrollment 780, has a principal, assistant principal, athletic director, 2 counselors, 2 secretaries, a bus manager and a nurse.

The website isn’t as clear for the remaining schools. Sterling Elementary (4th & 5th grades) lists a principal, secretary, nurse, counselor and social worker. Other elementary schools (Southeast, Martin Warren, Ridgeview) are less complete. Organization of the Vo-Tech and alternative schools isn’t fully displayed.

I’m sure the staff levels are in some part driven by mandates from higher government levels. However, knowing the tendencies of bureaucracies, I suspect that some of the mandates and staff needs are driven by educational fad. By the way, did you know that there’s actually a proposal in the state legislature (HB856) to allow school districts to levy sales or income taxes?