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Shawnee Mission reviews HR push after retention rises; district cites mentoring and vendor support
Summary
At a board workshop, Shawnee Mission officials highlighted recruitment tactics, a rise in retention rates for classified and certified staff, and plans to use survey-based 'retention drivers' to guide action. CoreBridge retirement services and stronger mentoring were cited as factors.
Shawnee Mission School District officials on Wednesday presented a human-resources update that credited mentoring, onboarding and a vendor change for recent gains in employee retention.
Dr. Higgins, introducing the HR team, told the board the department would focus on recruitment, retention and employee experience under the district’s Strategy 3. "So tonight, you're going to be hearing primarily from the incredible, talented team that I have the privilege of working with every day," Higgins said during the presentation.
HR staff described active recruitment tactics that include career-fair outreach, handwritten follow-ups, personal tours of schools for candidates and efforts to meet student teachers and alumni in the region. "The number one question that's asked when we're out, attending events is what is our mentoring and support look like for new teachers," said one HR presenter.
The presentation included retention figures the district said show improvement: classified retention rose from 64.99% to 68.6%, and certified retention rose from 89.44% to 92.13%. The HR team said those increases reflect stronger onboarding, mentoring, recognition programs and an emphasis on employees' sense of belonging.
Officials also credited retirement-plan engagement to the district’s single-vendor transition. "One of the really cool things that we have with CoreBridge is they have specific advisors that our staff can meet with," Dr. Higgins said, noting the CoreBridge transition began in November 2023 and that access to advisors and better communication helped lift participation in retirement accounts.
Board members asked for additional measures and data. A board member requested the total number of district alumni currently employed; HR said the district does not track that figure now but agreed it would be feasible to begin.
The HR team said it has identified seven survey items statistically tied to employees staying in the district and intends to translate those 'retention drivers' into focused, measurable action plans.
The board received the report and engaged in discussion; staff indicated further details and next steps will be part of future reports.
