Superintendent reports stable enrollment, 65 new hires and district SEL launch
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Summary
Superintendent said enrollment is within projections, the district hired 65 new staff, staffing gaps remain in junior high math and special education, and the district launched a new social‑emotional learning curriculum with national consultant Jeffrey Benson.
Superintendent Dr. Raitzer told District 28 trustees that the school year opened smoothly, enrollment is within the district’s projection window and staffing is “on track” though several positions remain open.
“We have had a great start to the school year,” Superintendent Dr. Raitzer said, noting that the district hired 65 new staff members for the year and that “we still have 11 outstanding positions. Most of those are teaching assistant positions.”
Why it matters: Staffing and enrollment affect class sizes, program continuity and student supports. Trustees asked about long‑term substitutes and evidence for professional development impact.
Dr. Raitzer said the district started the year with about 1,806 students, consistent with the district’s projection range of roughly 1,818 to 1,850 students. “Last year, we ended the year with 1,848. This year, we actually started the year with 1,806,” she said.
Staffing details presented to the board included 65 new hires (a majority were instructional assistants), three internal hires, nine “kid care” hires and 11 open positions. The superintendent said the district continues to recruit for an eighth‑grade math teacher and a special‑education teacher at the junior high; a long‑term substitute is covering the eighth‑grade math class in the interim. “That person is a long term sub. It's the same person, until we are able to fill the position,” she said.
Professional learning and SEL launch: The superintendent said the district invited national social‑emotional learning expert Jeffrey Benson to the staff opening; Benson joined by Zoom to support the district’s SEL rollout. “He actually Zoomed with the entire district staff really to talk about and help us launch our social and emotional learning curriculum,” Dr. Raitzer said. Board members asked whether the professional learning was evaluated; staff replied that evaluations are collected for state credit. “We do get those back. And so Dr. Raitzer collects those,” she said.
Teaching and learning lead Chris recapped summer professional development for trustees, listing new curriculum adoptions and trainings: Into Reading (literacy), Wayfinder (SEL for grades 3–8), Everyday Speech (SEL for early childhood–grade 2), workshops on inclusive classroom libraries, math formative assessment strategies, supports for multilingual learners, and technology integration including iPad and AI applications. Chris said staff also completed CPR and CPI refresher trainings over the summer.
Discussion vs. decision: Report items were informational. Trustees posed clarifying questions about the long‑term substitute and evaluation of SEL PD; staff said evaluation data are collected and that the SEL consultant was well received based on that feedback.
What’s next: The superintendent reminded trustees of a September dinner for new staff before the regular board meeting. Staff said recruiting will continue for remaining vacancies and that SEL implementation will proceed in classrooms this school year.
