(1) School districts shall employ appropriately endorsed school administrators/principals as follows:

(a) for schools in third class elementary districts without a licensed administrator under contract, a supervising teacher and county superintendent will be accepted in satisfaction of administrator requirements for up to eight full-time equivalent (FTE) licensed staff;

(b) for schools in districts with an assigned licensed administrator under contract, the following staffing requirements shall apply:

(i) .5 FTE principal for schools with more than eight and less than 18 FTE licensed staff. A district may satisfy the FTE requirements of this subsection for a school under this circumstance by prorating the assignment of building administrators in other buildings of the district, so long as the number of licensed FTE staff for whom each administrator is responsible is not more than 29 and so long as the number of students for whom each administrator is responsible is not more than 550;

(ii) one FTE principal for schools with 18-29 FTE licensed staff or 250-550 students;

(iii) two FTE administrators/principals for schools with 551-1050 students;

(iv) three FTE administrators/principals for schools with 1051-1550 students;

(v) four FTE administrators/principals for schools with 1551-2050 students; and

(vi) five FTE administrators/principals for schools with 2051 or more students.

(2) In schools that require two or more FTE administrators/principals, at least one individual shall be appropriately endorsed as principal. At least a second administrator shall have administrative endorsement(s) at the appropriate level(s) and in the area(s) that accurately reflects the administrator's supervisory responsibilities. For example, a school may assign properly licensed and endorsed curriculum coordinators to supervise the appropriate instructional programs.

(3) In schools with at least three FTE school administrators who are administratively endorsed, release time of department coordinators or chairpersons may be counted toward additional school administration. Department coordinators or chairpersons counted toward school administration may observe and supervise but shall not formally evaluate classroom instruction.