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Human-resources report: district narrows staffing, details reclassifications and background-check timing
Summary
Elkhart HR reported staffing changes tied to ESSER-funded positions, reclassifications, Chartwells transition and efforts to align FTEs to enrollment; the department said typical background-check turnaround averages about two days.
Elkhart Community Schools human-resources staff reported on Aug. 12 that the district has been working over the summer to align staff levels with current student enrollment and to reclassify positions funded temporarily by federal ESSER grant dollars.
Miss Luzano, who presented the department—s staffing update, said the district is shifting from hiring based on projected enrollment to aligning positions with actual enrollment. She said the district ended the prior school year with about 835 certified positions and was at about 756 certified positions as of Aug. 8. Classified positions declined from about 908 to about 703, a drop the presentation attributed principally to the outsourcing of food service to Chartwells and to attrition. Luzano said the district added some positions earlier in the multi-year period when ESSER funds were available, including EL family/community specialists, social workers (reclassified to certified roles), registered behavior technician (RBT) one-on-one supports later reclassified, literacy-cadre coaches at the elementary level (11 FTEs) and additional counselors and assistant principals tied to sixth-grade transitions.
Luzano described a new FTE control system the district piloted over the summer that will integrate with the personnel-management system to give greater transparency and allow administrators to monitor staffing and make data-driven decisions. She said the board previously approved an adjustment to substitute compensation and the district had held open-interview events and substitute reactivation sessions over the summer. She reported 144 substitute employees had been reactivated so far after attending the required meeting.
When a trustee asked about background-check turnaround time, Luzano said it "has been averaging 2 days," and that longer times, up to several days, can occur when applicants have lived in other states or when the applicant delays responding to the district-provided link.
The HR presentation noted the district hired 110 certified staff in 2024 and, as of Aug. 8 this year, had processed 41 hires so far; Luzano emphasized the number was fluid as remaining positions are filled. The board and HR staff said they will continue daily staffing meetings during the start-of-year period to pivot assignments as enrollment changes.
No formal action was taken; the presentation concluded with board members thanking HR for the update.
