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New Berlin schools report low staff turnover, outline portfolio pay and hiring efforts
Summary
Employment Services Director Scott Garner told the board that resignations fell to 13 for 2024'25, the district sustained roughly a 95% retention rate, about 250 summer applicants competed for roughly 30 positions, and 62 of 66 eligible educators completed portfolio earn-outs; the board discussed annualizing the portfolio payout and approved an employment services report from closed session.
Scott Garner, director of employment services for the New Berlin School District, told the school board on Monday that the district's hiring picture improved over the summer: 13 resignations were reported for 2024'25 compared with 21 the previous year, and Garner said the district sees about 250 applicants for its summer openings.
"We're pretty excited about that," Garner said, characterizing an approximately 95% retention rate as a positive indicator that "New Berlin is a place where people wanna stay and where people wanna actually go." He said the district recruited for just under 30 positions this cycle and is continuing traditional outreach efforts including Indeed and LinkedIn plus a staff referral program.
Garner reviewed the portfolio process that lets eligible teachers compile three years of evidence to qualify for extra pay. He said 66 teachers were eligible this cycle and 62 completed portfolios; 97% of those who completed them did so at a high level and received the $3,000 payout. "Full amount is $6,000," Garner added when the board asked about the maximum award.
Board members pressed on eligibility and process. Garner said portfolios are limited to highly qualified, certified classroom staff who have not been on a performance-improvement plan and who meet school-based performance metrics. The board also discussed the difference between one-on-one stay interviews and electronic pulse surveys; Garner: "In a stay interview, what we would say is, what can we do to help you stay here?" and said wages commonly surface in survey free-text responses.
Garner described internal staffing transitions in his office (several coordinators and a payroll staffer) and emphasized "grow-your-own" efforts for special education by encouraging current SLAs and CS staff to pursue licensure. He said the employment services team will continue vendor reviews for benefits and maintain mentoring and touchpoints for new hires.
After the presentation the board approved, on a separate motion arising from closed session, the employment services report that had been discussed earlier. The motion to approve the employment services report passed on a motion by Ms. Bindler with a second by Ms. Crosby.
What happens next: Administration said it will continue monitoring survey results and bring back any proposed changes to the portfolio timing or compensation model for board consideration.
