District staff summarized progress on ElevateOne (culture, climate and retention), reporting that certified teacher retention rose from a baseline of 80.5% (year of plan inception) to 86.2% in the most recent year, a 3.5 percentage‑point increase and above the plan’s goal. The presenter said the district now tracks a three‑year rolling average, currently just over 83%.

Why it matters: Personnel and benefits account for about 70% of the district budget. Staff retention affects continuity of instruction and budget forecasting. The presenter noted the district spends about $46 million annually on personnel and benefits.

What the district is doing: The district said it is funding retention activities from district sources after the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) eliminated the teacher retention grant. Actions cited in the presentation include partnerships with regional universities (the Regional Educator Advantage Partnership with SEMO offering tuition discounts and pathways), incentive drawings and prizes for perfect attendance, and a newly launched career ladder for teacher mentoring that offers stipends of $1,500, $3,000 or $5,000.

Staff feedback and rounding: The district reported it collected roughly 225 staff “rounding” responses during one semester using a JotForm tool and used artificial intelligence to do thematic analysis. Strengths identified by staff included leadership support and positive student–staff relationships; areas for improvement included facilities, staffing/compensation and district‑level communication. The district plans to increase rounding volume, add face‑to‑face sessions and expand mentoring and leadership development.

Questions and limits: Board members asked for response rates and coverage. The presenter said the 225 responses came from roughly 710 benefit‑eligible employees and covered one semester (January–about May 15), so participation was still limited. The presenter said the rounding conversations are generally 3–5 minutes and are supervisor‑led; next year the district plans to add automated recognition when staff are recognized by peers.

Formal actions: The board received the report for information; no motion or policy change was recorded.

Ending: The presenter invited questions and said administration will continue to prioritize compensation, mentoring and communication while providing timely updates on facility improvements tied to the long‑range facilities plan.