Board hears staffing and recruitment update; district vets 2026–27 calendar with stakeholders
Summary
Administration reported recruiting activity and an alternative-certification pathway for teacher hires and presented a draft 2026–27 calendar (174 student days) for stakeholder review; board will vote in December.
District administrators updated the board Nov. 10 on staffing and on a draft calendar for 2026–27.
Mr. Mills outlined recent recruitment efforts, including college visits and career fairs, and reported the district hired two teachers to replace international hires who will leave at the end of the 2025–26 school year. He said the district has hired about seven teachers through an alternative certification pathway and will administer stay‑interviews as part of a retention strategy.
Dr. Rhodes presented the draft 2026–27 school calendar, describing it as similar to the current year’s calendar with modest changes: 174 student contact days (one more than the current draft), a shift that places Easter in March and a corresponding shift of parent‑teacher conferences and a vacation day in April, and continued July onboarding for new teachers. Rhodes said the district is vetting the draft with NPEA officers, the district guiding coalition, and parent stakeholders and plans to return the calendar for board action in December.
Board members emphasized the importance of collecting teacher feedback (NTEA/NPEA surveys were referenced) and stakeholder comments about the Monday change around Easter.
Next steps: Administration will collect stakeholder feedback and provide a calendar update at the December meeting. HR will continue recruiting and prepare outcomes from stay‑interviews and the alternative-certification pipeline for board review.
