As Columbia Public Schools adds more administrators to its payroll, some teachers and students are asking whether the district’s hiring priorities align with classroom needs.

This year, Hickman High School gained another assistant principal, bringing the total to four. The position, converted from an administrative assistant role, was approved by the Board of Education in August, the same month teachers returned to classrooms still short on staff.

Willem Ross, Hickman’s newest assistant principal, said the position was created to better support teachers and balance administrative caseloads.

“Since my position was an addition, and not a replacement, the process was a little different,” Ross said. “The job was posted over the summer, but I wasn’t officially hired until the day before teachers came back.”

Ross said his responsibilities include evaluating teachers and managing student discipline for last names E–K. 

“The concern about adding more administration is legitimate,” he said. “But I hope people view this as an opportunity to better support teachers, not as a misplacement of priorities.”

Still, some staff question whether new administrative roles help students as much as filling vacant classrooms would. The Columbia Missouri National Education Association (CMNEA) president, Hickman teacher Ms. Gilzow said the issue isn’t simple.

“It’s difficult to lose a special education teacher to administration,” Gilzow said. “That’s an area of critical shortage across the state and within our district. But Hickman also had fewer assistant principals than Battle, despite having 600 more students.”

The special education department at Hickman is feeling the strain. The special education department saw one teaching position eliminated last year when that teacher moved into administration. Hickman Principal Ms. Grupe said the district’s staffing decisions are based on student numbers across buildings, not a failure to hire.

“The district is the hiring manager for special education teachers,” Grupe said. “They look at numbers and decide where those positions go. That’s why one of ours went back to Russell Boulevard Elementary, they had an increase in students.”

Grupe said Hickman’s special education program is still performing well. 

“We’ve actually raised our graduation rate for special education students, one of the biggest jumps in the district,” she said. “We need more people, yes, but so does every building.”

Gilzow said the shortage has real effects on classrooms. “If a special education position isn’t filled, caseloads rise, and that trickles down to general education teachers and their students with IEPs,” she said. “The situation is dire in some schools.”

There has been an increase in district spending and structural changes. CPS recently underwent central office restructuring that added positions to its administrative hierarchy at a cost of about $667,000, money that, Gilzow said, could have funded up to 15 teaching positions. She said she supports sufficient building administration but believes the focus should remain on staffing classrooms. 

“More teachers and smaller class sizes should always come first,” Gilzow said. “That’s where student learning really happens.”

Grupe defended Hickman’s choice to move from a dean model to a larger assistant principal team, saying it helps restore school culture and teacher relationships.

“The dean system cut teachers out of the discipline loop,” Grupe said. “We’re trying to rebuild collaboration between teachers and admin so everyone’s on the same page.”

Looking ahead, with hiring challenges across the state, particularly in math, science and special education, the district continues to balance staffing priorities amid limited applicant pools.

Ross said measurable impacts from the additional assistant principal role will take time to see. 

“By the end of the year, I think we’ll have a better idea of whether this addition made a difference,” he said.

Whether the expansion of administrative roles truly benefits students remains an open question, one tied not just to Hickman, but to how the district defines “support” in education.