Elementary staffing · administration & alternatives
Five elementary schools. Five assistant principals.
Reading added a full-time assistant principal to every elementary school in FY24, at an estimated recurring cost of $500,000 annually. Nearby districts organize elementary leadership in different ways. Reading deserves a thoughtful comparison of the options—and the results.
Two questions
Do we need five? Do we need dedicated elementary APs at all?
Our five elementary schools vary considerably in enrollment, but each has a full-time AP. We should be willing to ask whether that is the best arrangement for every school—and listen carefully to what educators and families need.
Could fewer positions work?
Could smaller schools share administrative coverage? Would three or four positions provide the leadership and student support our schools need?
Could a different model work?
How do other districts distribute leadership, family communication, and student-support responsibilities? What might Reading learn from their experience?
Four METCO districts. Different approaches to elementary administration.
These four METCO communities use different staffing arrangements. Melrose offers a useful example: it has combined assistant-principal duties with special-education coordination, allowing leadership responsibilities to be shared in a different way.
| METCO district | Elementary schools | Schools with AP coverage | Staffing approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 5 | 5 of 5 | Dedicated full-time AP in each school |
| Melrose | 5 | 3 of 5 | Hybrid AP / special-education coordination roles; staffing adjusted over time |
| Wakefield | 4 | 2 of 4 | Dedicated APs at two schools; other administrative support roles may differ |
| Lynnfield | 2 | 1 of 2 proposed* | Shared elementary AP position proposed for FY27 |
*Lynnfield's shared FY27 AP proposal should not be read as confirmation that the position was filled. Counts describe schools with identified AP coverage, not equivalent full-time AP staffing: hybrid roles may devote only part of their time to AP duties. Current staffing, actual FTE allocations, and comparable student-support staffing should be verified against district budgets and directories before drawing cost or service conclusions.
Ten districts. Several ways to staff elementary leadership.
The wider comparison reinforces an important distinction: identifying AP coverage at a school is not the same as funding a dedicated, full-time AP in every building.
| District | Elementary schools | Identified AP coverage | Model / qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 5 | 5 of 5 | One dedicated full-time AP per K–5 school |
| Andover | 5 | 5 of 5 | Dedicated elementary APs; larger elementary enrollment than Reading |
| Melrose | 5 | 3 of 5 | Hybrid AP / special-education coordination positions |
| Wakefield | 4 | 2 of 4 | APs at two schools; other schools use assistant-to-principal roles |
| Lynnfield | 2 | Shared AP proposed | Shared elementary AP proposed for FY27 |
| North Reading | 3 | None identified | No dedicated elementary AP listed |
| Winchester | 5 | At least 1 of 5 | AP at Vinson-Owen |
| Burlington | 4 | 2 of 4 identified | AP coverage identified at two elementary schools |
| North Andover | 5 grade 1–5 schools | At least 3 of 5 | Separate kindergarten center |
| Wilmington | 2 grade 1–3 schools, plus other elementary-grade buildings | 2 of 2 grade 1–3 schools | Grade 1–3 APs; grade 4–5 assistant-to-principal roles |
These comparisons are a starting point, not a verdict. Enrollment, grade configurations, staff responsibilities, and student needs differ. The opportunity is to learn which approaches might work for Reading.
Protecting student support
Start with what students need.
Assistant principals support students, families, teachers, and principals in meaningful ways. Any staffing discussion should recognize that work and protect the services students depend on.
The question is how best to deliver those services. A responsible review would consider student needs, staff workload, educational outcomes, and cost—not simply the number of positions.
Three years later
What can we measure now?
Three years after these positions were added, Reading should be able to share what it has learned. No single measure can capture an AP’s contribution, but several indicators can help residents understand the impact.
Student support and caseloads
How many students receive AP assistance? For what needs, and how often? How are responsibilities shared with adjustment counselors, social workers, and special education staff?
Behavior and response
What happened to office referrals, incident severity, and response or resolution times? Changes in reporting practices should be considered before drawing conclusions.
Principal and teacher workload
What work shifted from principals to APs? Did principals gain more time for instructional leadership, and did teachers receive faster or more effective support?
School climate and outcomes
What do attendance, staff retention, and family and teacher feedback show? Which changes can reasonably be connected to the staffing model, and which cannot?
Asking for evidence is not a judgment on the people doing the work. It is how we make informed decisions, acknowledge what we do not yet know, and protect the services that matter most.
The budget choice
Five positions are a choice—not a foregone conclusion.
Reading should compare retaining five APs with shared coverage and other leadership models, including the costs, benefits, and effects on students and staff.
With limited resources and difficult budget decisions ahead, we owe residents a clear explanation of the tradeoffs—especially before accepting cuts closer to the classroom as unavoidable.
Sources & notes
The record
The analysis on this page draws on publicly available school-budget, enrollment and comparative district information.
November 3, 2026
Show the evidence. Compare the alternatives.
Good schools and responsible budgeting belong in the same conversation. Let’s evaluate the results, hear from educators and families, and choose the staffing model that best serves Reading’s students.
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