Sizing up administration
News-Sentinel takes an in-depth look at LUSD staffing levels
Is Lodi Unified School District's central office staffing excessive?
A News-Sentinel review tends to indicate the staffing level may be slightly higher than others in the area. But it also shows there is no easy formula for comparing central administrative staffing from district to district.
That's in part because of widely varying job titles and budgeting practices that can blur the lines among administrative, support and teaching jobs. Further complicating the task of discerning administrative costs are the layers of local, state and federal funding that swirl throughout the budget of a large district such as Lodi.
The issue has come front and center as Lodi Unified faces a $30 million budget deficit. Critics have called for the district to cut the number of employees at the James Areida Education Support Center office on East Vine Street. In a recent interview, Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer said she would, in fact, like to see further cuts from the main office. However, she said the school board majority has a different view, and she serves at their pleasure.
Currently, there is about one district office position for every 122 students. The ratio was calculated using
