Ottumwa Community School District administrators on Tuesday presented a package of staffing changes aimed at reducing chronic turnover and high sick‑leave among the district’s associates (paraprofessionals), saying the measures are intended to improve recruitment, retention and on‑the‑job readiness.

The district reported it employed 273 associates in 2024–25, including 74 who were first‑year hires; among returning employees there were 43 resignations, terminations or retirements (a 21.6% turnover rate). New hires who left within their first year accounted for another 20 departures (a 31.7% turnover rate for that subset). The district also reported average sick or unpaid leave ranging from about 26 hours for very part‑time associates to roughly 80–102 hours for the larger, more‑hours assignments.

District leaders said the numbers matter because many associates support students with special education needs and absenteeism or rapid turnover disrupts services written into students’ IEPs. “You’re the glue that holds this all together,” one presenter said of associates while explaining why clearer role expectations are important.

Administrators described several recommended changes developed by a committee that included HR staff, building principals and current associates: create distinct job categories (for example, health associates, preschool, media/library, special education tier 1 and tier 2), update job descriptions, tailor onboarding and training to each category, establish a formal mentor and job‑shadow program, attach small premium pay for some assignments, and convert additional part‑time positions to full‑time with benefits.

The pay proposals presented were modest: a $0.50 per hour premium for health associates, expanding an existing $1.00 per hour premium for preschool and safety/security roles, and extending a $1.00 premium to special education tier‑2 positions (the district characterized the amounts as a starting point rather than a final offer). The district also said it is willing to convert about 10 more Schedule C (part‑time) positions into Schedule E (37.5‑hour) full‑time positions and estimated a conversion cost of about $108,500 to fund roughly 10 additional full‑time conversions.

On training and supervision, the committee recommended structured job shadowing and an on‑site mentor for each new associate (proposed mentor loads of no more than three new associates per mentor), weekly or regular check‑ins and the possibility of brief paid time before the school day for mentor‑mentee meetings. The presenters said the mentoring role would be compensated.

Administrators also said they will scrutinize unpaid leave more closely. They said exceptions will remain for FMLA and documented medical issues but that frequent unpaid leave after paid balances are exhausted will trigger discussions about job fit. One HR presenter said administrators have increased one‑on‑one meetings during probationary periods this year and believe those efforts have moderated absence rates compared with prior years.

Board members asked for additional demographic breakdowns of the associate workforce — age, gender and tenure — to help shape recruitment and retention strategies for different groups. The board also discussed the balance between flexibility many associates value and the district’s interest in converting more positions to full‑time to increase stability.

Discussion only — not a formal board action — the report concluded with administrators asking for the board’s feedback and signaling they plan to implement many of the committee’s recommendations ahead of the next school year.

The district said it will return with more detailed implementation steps, cost estimates and timelines for any compensation changes, and will continue negotiating with the associates’ representative group where required.