Arlington Independent School District officials told trustees on Sept. 4 that the district has closed the vast majority of teacher vacancies ahead of the 2025–26 school year and is pursuing a further cut in openings by December. The human-resources presentation laid out specific hiring metrics, next steps for college recruiting and retention strategies.

District leaders said the recruitment team reduced open positions by 42% year over year going into day one of school and hired 397 teachers during the recent hiring season. Cliff Peake, director of recruitment and substitute requests, told trustees the district has 55 teacher openings as of the presentation and that the district’s total of roughly 3,837 teacher positions is about 99% filled. He set a December goal of reducing teacher openings to 34 and other staff openings to 99, a combined target of 133 open positions districtwide.

Peake said the district lowered teacher openings from 68 in December 2024 and other openings from 202 in that same month by prioritizing critical hires—special education and bilingual teachers—speeding up hiring workflows, and converting more student teachers into hires. He told trustees the district cut teacher assistant openings from 105 in June to 24 on day one, filled all bus routes, and had 11 food-service openings remaining.

Peake described college and HBCU recruiting as a priority for the remainder of the year and listed institutions the district attended last season, including UTA, Prairie View A&M and Southern University. He said Arlington ISD will pursue a more focused HBCU recruiting effort and work to improve conversion of student teachers into certified hires. Peake also reported that post‑legislative changes make it easier to hire retired teachers and that the district is building a “grow your own” pipeline with existing paraprofessionals and ACP participants.

Trustees pressed on retention data and coverage for classrooms still vacant. Vice President Sarah McMorrow asked whether the district conducts “stay” surveys to learn why veteran teachers remain; Dolores Johnson, executive director of human resources, confirmed the district reviews employee engagement surveys and has explored additional measures. Trustees were told that classrooms with open positions currently have long‑term or pathway substitutes in place and that the district is also adjusting staffing through student‑level “leveling” during the term to reduce openings as enrollment settles.

Superintendent Dr. Smith and trustees praised the recruiting team’s work but emphasized that retention and filling nonteacher roles remain priorities. The presentation closed with Peake saying his team would shift toward consultative recruiting—assigning recruiters to partner directly with hiring leaders to develop targeted plans.

District officials did not propose formal board action on hiring during the meeting. The presentation served as a priority update and did not include funding or policy changes.

Trustees asked for ongoing updates on progress toward the December targets and additional retention metrics.