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HR director reports staffing, substitute costs and turnover; district used early-resignation incentive
Summary
The district’s human-resources director presented year-in-review data: 599 total employees in the October certified snapshot, 127 new hires last year, an 8.18 absenteeism rate, 3,908 substitute units costing about $605,000, a staff-retention rate of 81.5% (below the state average), and use of early- and late-resignation financial incentives.
The Clear Creek Amana Community School District human-resources director presented a district staffing report that included headcount, turnover, absenteeism and substitute-cost detail.
Using the certified basic educational data snapshot from October 2024 the director reported 599 total employees for the 2024–25 school year and said that figure is the baseline used for annual reporting. She reported approximately 350 employees equivalent to 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) across pay classifications for budgeting purposes, and said the district hired 127 new employees during the last school year. The director cautioned that vacancy and absence percentages can be skewed by small changes in staffing or student needs.
The district logged 11,217 absence days last school year, producing an absenteeism rate of 8.18 percent (the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics education-sector rate cited by the presenter was 3.1 percent in August). Substitute usage totaled 3,908 units (half- and full-day fills); the district paid about $605,000 for substitutes last year. The daily rate for regular substitutes was $150 last year and was increased this year to $155; long-term substitute pay remained $200 per day. The presenter said there are currently 106 active substitute teachers in the district’s pool.
Staff retention fell to 81.5 percent, slightly below the state average cited at 84.6 percent; overtime costs for the prior school year totaled $194,113 including FICA and IPERS. The district recorded 93 separations (terminations in the presenter’s terminology), of which roughly 82.8 percent were resignations. In an effort to stabilize staffing, the board’s policy (policy 40701 as referenced by the presenter) includes an early-resignation incentive and a late-resignation fee: for fiscal 2025 two staff members received $1,000 each for early resignations (total $2,000 paid out) and three late resignations resulted in $1,500 each reclaimed (total $4,500 collected back), the director said.
The presenter described ongoing priorities: realigning recruitment districtwide, simplifying lane-change processes for certified staff, completion of a national criminal-history (NSOR) audit (district found compliant), and addressing a recent increase in workers’ compensation high-dollar claims that have driven up the district’s mod factor and insurance premiums. She said the district would pursue safety and culture initiatives to reduce claims and improve retention.
Board members asked about budgeting for substitutes; the presenter said the district bases substitute budgeting on the previous year and adds a cushion. Trustees also asked about the composition of exit interviews (reasons cited included career change, work-life balance and relocation), the timing of collective-bargaining negotiations (committee and handbook work anticipated in December–March time frame), and the budget number for substitute costs (presenter said the budget figure was provided on request). The presenter said she would provide the board a follow-up breakdown of the substitute budget vs. actuals on request.
