Rockwood outlines onboarding, training and staffing for custodians, transportation, nutrition and secretaries

The Rockwood School District presented an overview of onboarding and professional development for support staff and new teachers, detailing recruitment progress, training programs and current vacancies across multiple departments.

The nut of the presentation: District officials said targeted recruitment and revamped onboarding practices have reduced vacancies in several support areas, while training programs and mentor systems aim to improve retention and performance.

Facilities and custodial: Cindy Baez, chief financial officer, described the custodial and facilities staffing structure. She said the district has 201 custodial positions (28 evening, 73 daytime) and reported 67 current openings; roughly half of vacant full‑time equivalents are being filled by part‑time staff. Baez described a standardized training pipeline led by custodian trainer Joe Trimberger that lasts two to three weeks and includes equipment use, chemical safety and weekly evaluations. She said custodial hires are placed by quadrant and building principals participate in lead‑custodian selections.

Transportation: Mike Haman, director of transportation, outlined the district’s commercial driver training and safety program. He described a three‑phase ELDT (entry‑level driver training) pathway—classroom theory (25–30 hours), range/skills practice and on‑road/public routes—and said Rockwood runs 93 regular education routes plus six early childhood routes (99 total) and currently employs 101 drivers. Haman stressed student safety, describing “danger zones” as “basically a 15‑foot rectangle around the school bus” where extra caution is required, and said drivers undergo annual on‑road safety evaluations and retraining after incidents.

Child nutrition: Carmen Fisher, director of child nutrition, explained onboarding for food‑service staff and the newly created manager‑in‑training role. Fisher said the department currently has about 35 openings and three manager vacancies for the coming year; managers are required to be ServSafe‑certified and the district offers training, summer academy experience and a manager‑in‑training pathway to build internal capacity.

Secretaries and office staff: Mary LePak (school and community relations liaison credited Kate Moore for organizing training) described a full‑day training for school secretaries that included legal briefings, parent‑communication tech sessions and help‑desk orientation. The district is piloting micro‑credential training so employees can learn systems such as Google and Infinite Campus across job categories.

New teachers and mentors: The district’s curriculum/professional development presenter described new teacher induction as a multi‑day, multi‑year process that now aligns with the state’s BTAP requirements. She said Rockwood’s internal program already operates as a two‑year induction and that mentors receive a $350 stipend upon completion of state‑required mentor activities.

Questions and context: Board members asked whether custodial and support staff are trained on AED and other safety equipment; the presenters said AED training is part of custodial training though the presenters could not immediately confirm whether it is universal across all job types. The presenters identified recruiting, advertising and cross‑training as key strategies that have reduced vacancies compared with the fall high point.

Ending: District officials invited board members and community stakeholders to observe training sessions and recruiting events, and said the district will continue updating onboarding manuals and using video resources to expand training access.