Human Resources reported to the St. Tammany Parish School Board Human Resources & Education Committee on July 10 that certificated resignations this year returned to a level comparable with 2020–21 after a spike during the pandemic. The department also described a redesigned exit‑interview process that produced a higher response rate for the first time in two years.

The district recorded about 3,050 certificated staff, Human Resources said, and 142 certificated resignations last year — a rate the presenter calculated as 4.6 percent. The presenter said the combined certificated and support‑staff turnover is roughly 7–8 percent when both groups are considered together.

Human Resources said it had not received exit‑interview data the previous two years and worked with the Louisiana Department of Education and other districts to redesign its survey process. The department mailed self‑addressed surveys in earlier years; this year it switched to an online Google document and routed the survey link through retirement counseling and principals at separation, which staff said improved returns. The department sent 181 exit‑interview questionnaires and reported a 27.6 percent response rate.

Board members asked for more granular data. Board member Robert Bridal (last name as recorded) said absolute counts are less useful without percentages by school; Human Resources replied that districtwide numbers are shown but school‑level percentages can be produced. Committee members asked specifically about historically high turnover at certain campuses, and staff replied that exit surveys are anonymous, which limits the department’s ability to tie responses to an individual school but said the department does review patterns and follow up internally.

Board members also noted differences by program type. Staff clarified that the Harrison Curriculum Center is a base for multiple specialist positions (speech therapists and other job classes), so its raw resignation counts combine multiple job categories rather than reflecting a single school’s classroom teacher vacancy rate.

The presenter said retention rates reported by private‑sector advisers—retaining 92–93 percent of employees—are unusually strong and that the district aims to use the new exit data in planning. No formal board action was taken on the report; members thanked staff for the improved response.

The committee asked HR to provide school‑level resignation percentages and to continue refining use of exit data in planning and retention strategies.