Dear Abingdon PTA Community,
I have good news about the funding of our second assistant principal for next school year. Today, Superintendent Duran informed Mr Horak that he had authorized funding for the position for the 2024-2025 school year through the Human Resources contingency process. (I believe the School Board still must ratify the appointment, but the vote is pro forma.) So we successfully convinced APS to maintain our two assistant principals through next school year!
I want to extend my sincere thanks to all students, staff, parents, and community members for their immediate and overwhelming support on this issue. Without your advocacy, this victory would not have been possible. Further, I know our current assistant principals are incredibly grateful for and touched by everyone’s sentiments.
While we celebrate the maintenance of staffing for next year, the position is again funded via contingency; it has not been converted to a permanent one. That next step depends on the results of the ongoing planning factor study by APS.
The past few months have opened our eyes to the need for revisions of the planning factors for elementary school administrators (and other staff positions). Without changes, we may have to renew this fight again next year. Rest assured that PTA will remain engaged with senior APS staff and School Board members about this issue over the coming months.
In the meantime though, let’s enjoy the victory for Abingdon.
James Harlow