Collingswood Public School District board members and administrators on Monday reviewed district data on teacher resignations and discussed steps to improve retention after a board presentation showed 99 teacher resignations from June 2021 through December 2024, with nearly half of those resignations (47) occurring among teachers with four years or less in the district.

The discussion matters because continuing staff departures have coincided with program disruptions and have heightened concern among parents and teachers about course continuity, extracurricular offerings and long‑term staffing costs. Board members said the district will pursue multiple strategies — higher starting pay for new teachers, a district climate survey and review of exit interviews — to reduce turnover.

A board member presenting the data told the board that of the 99 resignations in the June 2021–Dec. 2024 window, about 30% were teachers with five to nine years in the district and roughly 12% were 10 years or more. The presenter also showed that, as of December 2024, roughly 77% of district teachers were on step levels consistent with 10 or more years of experience. The board member said that a disproportionate share of resignations was concentrated in the district’s newer teachers (0–4 years).

Board members and the superintendent discussed measures already taken and planned to address retention. The board recently approved a contract that raises starting salaries; district materials presented at the meeting projected that by the 2026‑27 school year the district’s starting salary for new teachers will be higher than those in neighboring districts such as Audubon and Haddon Township. Superintendent Dana McDowell and staff said the district will continue to expand targeted recruitment, leverage buildings‑and‑grounds expertise to reduce operating costs, and pursue non‑operational capital strategies (including partnerships such as the borough recreation plan) to avoid further strain on the operating budget.

Administrators also announced a school climate survey for students in grades 3–12 and for parents, to be administered beginning in October, with an opt‑out for parents who do not wish their children to participate. The superintendent said the survey — and analysis of exit interviews by personnel staff — will give the board and administration more specific reasons for departures and help target retention actions at building and district levels.

Public commenters, teachers and other speakers underscored the urgency. Several parents and current and former educators told the board that program offerings have been disrupted by departures (the AP physics program, for example, was cited as having moved online after a teacher left). Music and extracurricular volunteers said enrollment and program participation remain strong in some areas but warned that staff shortages threaten continuity. A music‑department representative reported record enrollment in music programs and asked the board to sustain staffing and materials support.

Board members asked about routine collection of exit‑interview data and whether the board should have regular access to summarized findings. Administrators said exit interviews are collected and that personnel committee reviews have included that data at times; they noted legal and ethical limits on board involvement in personnel decisions and interviews, but committed to presenting aggregated exit interview findings and climate‑survey results so the board can consider targeted retention strategies.

The board identified next steps: implement the October climate survey, compile and present aggregated exit‑interview findings to the personnel committee, continue implementation of the recently negotiated salary increases, and report back to the full board with targeted retention plans in upcoming meetings.