UPDATED: A quote made by School Superintedent Nola Bryant was corrected.
The Newton Municipal School Board voiced concerns over a new organizational chart proposed by Newton Municipal School Superintendent Nola Bryant that would eliminate the job title of assistant superintendent.
During a regular meeting on March 22, Bryant presented a new organizational chart to the school board. While she said the job title was eliminated, Bryant said the responsibilities of the position would be divided among several directors who would each report directly to the superintendent.
Bryant said she has reviewed the personnel at the district level and feels like the district would operate better with directors instead of having one assistant superintendent.
“For a district our size, I don’t see the need for an assistant superintendent title,” Bryant said. “All of the people who will be administrators at the district-wide level will be a director. They will have what we call equal footing. A lot of districts when you are getting that title, you’re paying certain amounts of money. In most districts our size, they are using directors.”
Board member Alice Dawkins-Hopson said the removal of the assistant superintendent title wasn’t discussed previously when the Bryant approached the board about restructuring the organizational chart.
“The reason why that position was added was because there are certain times the superintendent cannot act on behalf of the school district,” Dawkins-Hopson said. “I just don’t see the need to remove that position.”
Bryant said any of the new directors would be able to act on behalf of the superintendent, and if the board wished, Bryant could designate one director to act in an assistant superintendent role.
Dawkins-Hopson said the board could override the superintendent’s decision to eliminate the assistant superintendent.
Board president Levera Chapman asked Bryant if the person holding the assistant superintendent would be eliminated.
“That’s a personnel matter,” Bryant said. “As it is with any executor, anyone that comes, I am going to put people in positions that can do their job and will do their job and will assist me in helping make our district successful.”
Bryant said the current assistant superintendent would have to be discussed in executive session.
