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District 15 reports improved hiring, retention after targeted recruiting; 'it's a numbers game,' HR chief says
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Lisa Nossa told the board the district improved retention and substantially reduced reliance on contract agencies by earlier recruitment and partnerships with universities; the district met or exceeded internal retention targets for certified and hard‑to‑fill positions.
Assistant Superintendent Lisa Nossa on Monday told the Palatine CCSD 15 board that a multi‑pronged recruitment effort has improved hiring and retention in 2024–25 and reduced the district’s reliance on contract agencies for special education and related services.
Why it matters: filling teachers and related‑service roles (speech and language pathologists, school psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists) affects compliance with Individualized Education Programs and the district’s operating budget. Nossa said that when these roles are filled with district employees, the district spends far less on contracted services.
Key findings and steps: Nossa said the district shifted posting timelines earlier (January instead of March) and increased HR’s active role in tracking priority openings weekly. She said the district moved from outsourcing more than 55 certified positions last year to “a handful” this year, attributing the change to negotiated contract terms and more proactive hiring. Nossa summarized recruiting tactics: partnerships with nearby colleges and Hispanic‑serving institutions, targeted flyers and QR‑code business cards, participation in job fairs (for example, speech‑language and school‑psych job fairs), local outreach to community centers and unemployment listservs, and a refreshed branded recruitment push by the communications team.
Metrics presented: the district reported an improvement in non‑certified staff retention from roughly 69% to about 82–83% year‑to‑year. For new certified hires asked to return from the previous year, Nossa said 134 were hired, 116 were asked back and 91% of those returned (106 teachers), exceeding the district’s 90% target. For hard‑to‑fill roles (bilingual, special education, related services, some elementary math and middle‑school science), she reported that of 65 hires, 55 were offered jobs and 51 returned, a retention rate above 92%.
Nossa emphasized targeted pipelines: student‑teacher placements and internships remain a top source of hires (the district converted nine student teachers and several interns into staff last year), and the district engages historically Black colleges and Hispanic‑serving institutions with translated recruitment materials. She also highlighted recruitment for non‑certified roles such as bus drivers, noting the district conducts local outreach and will pay for required training.
Quotes and context: Nossa summarized the recruiting challenge in plain terms: “it is a numbers game,” meaning earlier and broader outreach increases the applicant pool. She credited a “small but very mighty” HR team and the communications department for producing branded materials and recruitment videos.
Ending: Board members asked about transportation recruitment and about continued partnership efforts; Nossa said the district will continue the early posting strategy and university partnerships and will report ongoing metrics to the board.
