The Haines School. (Emily Files)

At a meeting Tuesday, the Haines Borough School Board formally approved a plan to hire a dean of students. The new position is part of a significant restructuring plan for the school’s administration.

During his first stint as superintendent in Haines three years ago, Rich Carlson said the administration was too large for the size of the school.

“We had a principal, an assistant principal, a director of student support, and a technology integration specialist—and a superintendent. That was quite a lot.”

From the outside looking in the roles were confusing, and Carlson believed the format was not sustainable. Since then there has been significant downsizing. The technology integration specialist and assistant principal positions have been cut.

Soon Kim Cunningham, the director of student services, will be leaving Haines for a teaching job in Hong Kong. Rather than hiring a new director, the school board has decided to create a new administrative position known as the dean of students. The new dean will take over many responsibilities from the director of student services.

“The dean of students will have more direct responsibility for staff supervision, have more opportunity to be able to deal with the staff and the kids,” Carlson said.

However, some tasks will be passed on to other administrators. Special education administration had been carried out by the director of student services, but next year those responsibilities will go to the school’s new superintendent Roy Getchell.

School board member Sara Chapell expressed support for the plan at the meeting on Tuesday, saying the new structure will work better for the school’s principal.

“I’m especially looking forward to the fact that I think it will give our principal the time to get into the classrooms and do more principaling.”

Interim superintendent Carlson says the new administrative structure will save just over $10,000. The school has already started advertising the dean of students position, and a few people have expressed interest. Carlson hopes to hire someone within the next few weeks.