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Human resources report: exit interviews show leadership, workload and recognition as main drivers of turnover
Summary
The HR director reported exit interview analysis showing concerns with leadership consistency, workload and feeling undervalued; 76% of respondents said they would consider returning under different circumstances and HR proposed leadership development, recognition and caseload audits.
The district’s Executive Director of Human Resources presented an analysis of exit interviews at the July 15 board meeting and recommended a four‑part retention strategy focused on leadership development, recognition, caseload audits and “stay” interviews.
What the review found: HR director A. Almendarez (presented as Missus Almendarez) said aggregated survey scores showed school‑level leadership rated highest among measured items (mean ≈ 3.47 on a 1–5 scale) while the lowest mean score was for feeling “valued by the district” (≈ 2.76). Key themes from open‑ended responses were concerns about leadership and accountability, overwhelming workloads and unclear roles, especially in special education where staff cited high caseload stress.
Rehire likelihood and caveats: Almendarez said 76 percent of separated staff who responded would consider returning to the district under different conditions (for example, leadership change or improved systems). The director cautioned that response rates were not 100 percent — roughly 31 online responses plus additional in‑person interviews — and said combined response coverage was about 45–50 percent of the 129 total separations reported for the year.
Recommendations: Almendarez recommended (1) invest in leadership development and coaching, (2) improve recognition and employee input opportunities, (3) audit caseloads for high‑demand roles (especially special education) and implement wellness protections, and (4) introduce mid‑year stay interviews to surface concerns before employees resign.
Board questions and follow‑up: Board members asked about rollout timing, the planned survey cadence (leadership survey in August; staff survey in October; climate survey in November; spring follow‑up), and whether HR mentoring and mentor programs exist for administrators. Almendarez said teacher mentoring/buddy systems exist but acknowledged leadership development needs more formal structure and offered to present a leadership development framework in the fall.
Ending: HR will refine exit and stay interview processes, audit caseloads for targeted roles and return with a retention strategy and recommended leadership‑development framework for board review in the fall.
