By DAVID SVIEN

Special to the News-Times

Cut season is coming.

At a Thursday night meeting, Coupeville School Board members unanimously approved Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood’s proposed “modified education plan for reducing programs and staff.”

The resolution states that the district’s fund balance will continued to be below the 6% of the budget year’s expenditures outlined in district policy.

“At the present time, the level of funding the district will receive from certain federal, state and local funding sources is somewhat uncertain,” the resolution states,” but will clearly be insufficient to allow the district to maintain its current educational program and services.”

The modified education plan calls for reducing certificated staff by up to eight full-time equivalent positions through a combination of attrition and reduction in force.

It also will combine the middle school principal and high school/middle school athletic director positions into one job, and the high school principal and Career and Technical Education leadership roles into one.

Both of those positions will be new hires.

CHS/CMS Principal Geoff Kappes and Assistant Principal Allyson Cundiff were placed on “non-disciplinary leave pending an investigation” Dec. 16, though district officials declined to say why.

Cundiff was brought back March 19 in “a new capacity,” with district officials not addressing what that capacity is. Kappes resigned last week.

Athletic Director Brad Sherman is stepping down to spend more time with his young sons, as well.

The modified education plan, if approved, also will allow for the “elimination of (the) Assistant Food Service Director Position,” while “restructuring it into (a) Food Service Production Supervisor Role.”

Classroom considerations include the “possible move of the Coupeville Open Academy onsite, attrition reductions where possible, and potential class size increases in selected areas.”