Your school population is growing at the rate of 50 or so per year and an increased recruitment effort on the part of the magnet coordinator is paying off. There are sufficient personnel funds for three new positions, but there is a lot of discord about what those positions should be. The fine arts department insists it must add a staff member. The science department needs a specialist in physics. Your music department wants to add a person experienced in strings. The English department has two persons about to retire and has demonstrated the need for two additions. Your football team has been successful and the athletic director has threatened to resign unless he is given two more coaches. (Coaches have only a half-time instructional load.)

So, there you are. Budget proposal sessions are coming up. The district office wants your recommendations in three weeks. You have a personnel committee that functions only irregularly and that has members who rarely agree. You do have some flexibility. All or part of your personnel budget may be expended for instructional aides. An aide costs about half the salary of a certificated teacher.

What is your approach to this problem?