District reports improved staff retention, about 430 employees and fewer open positions than previous years

Steamboat Springs — Director of human resources Katie Jacobs told the school board on Aug. 25 that the district's workforce is stabilizing, with roughly 430 regular staff, improved retention and fewer openings than in prior years.

Jacobs said the district had about 50 open positions at the time of the report but those openings were lower than in recent years when openings ranged from about 80 to 130. "For 24–25, we're seeing about a 9 to 10% turnover, which is significantly lower than the state," she said; Chief Academic Officer Celine Wicks added that the state turnover figure is "anywhere between, like, 23–25% across districts."

The HR team described recruitment strategies that included attending four to five licensed-staff career fairs, coordination with statewide HR leadership groups and targeted front-range job fairs that attracted out-of-state candidates. Jacobs credited higher pay and other factors approved by the board with helping attract candidates and said social media and community partnerships are also part of recruitment.

Special-education staffing: Jacobs said the district hired fewer new special-education teachers this year (four) and currently had 33 special-education paraprofessionals districtwide with one open position. Some special-service providers are filled through contracted staff in compliance with IDEA.

Housing and onboarding: The HR team maintains a housing contact list and works with principals and community members to connect new hires to local housing; Jacobs said roughly five licensed staff this year moved into the community with district assistance. She also introduced HR team members Tony Quick and Kiki Soule and said HR works daily with finance staff on payroll and benefits.

Why it matters: Lower turnover and more successful recruitment can reduce classroom disruptions and lower costs associated with repeatedly filling positions, HR said. Board members asked Jacobs to continue outreach to universities and job fairs and to keep refining supports for new staff.

Ending: Jacobs said the district will continue workforce planning, onboarding and attention to benefits and compensation to sustain retention improvements.