District reports 30 openings, new grant-funded positions and recruitment challenges for hard-to-fill roles

Human resources staff briefed the board on current vacancy listings and newly created full-time equivalents for the coming school year. The list included around 30 positions district-wide spanning certificated and noncertificated roles.

HR reported new grant-funded positions including MLSS coaches, math coaches, dual-language teachers and pre-K staff; several of those roles are funded by Title I carryover and other grant sources. HR explained that some positions are year-to-year grant roles and that administration will seek carryover or other funding if grants are not renewed.

Board members asked how long grant-funded positions can be continued, what the contingency plans are if grants expire, and whether the district would absorb the positions into operational budgets. HR said some positions could move into regular funding if resources and staffing needs justify it but that careful monitoring and annual grant applications will be required.

Board members also asked about ongoing shortages for specialized roles. HR said the district uses practicum partnerships with regional universities to build a pipeline and that the district has employed contractors for remote speech-language services where in-person hires were not available. The board asked for continued emphasis on recruitment and partnerships with higher-education institutions to grow in-house expertise.