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Millard Public Schools reports 93.8% teacher retention, highlights recruitment and induction work
Summary
District staff told the board the district attended 28 recruiting fairs across five states, has 1,352 staff with master's degrees and recorded a 93.8% teacher retention rate (best since 2017); officials outlined student-teacher placement practices and succession concerns for an experienced workforce.
Millard Public Schools reported strong staffing measures to the board on Thursday, including a teacher retention rate of 93.8% — the district's best since 2017 — and outreach to recruit new educators.
A presenter told the board the district attended 28 recruiting fairs in five states and that its workforce includes 1,352 staff members with master’s degrees and 49 with doctorates. “We had our best retention rate, since 2017 with teachers, 93.8%,” the presenter said.
The nut graff: District officials said the retention and recruitment gains are linked to human-resources efforts and local implementation of Strategic Plan 2.1, while board members pressed staff on placement patterns and the potential risk of a retirement wave among long-tenured employees.
Staff explained how student-teacher placements are handled: university programs often allow candidates to state a preferred building or teacher, and the district attempts to honor preferences while balancing semester-to-semester needs. “The universities allow students to prefer where they wanted to student teach at…we try to balance them,” a staff member said.
Board members flagged an enrollment anomaly at the Cody building, asking whether the start of an English Learner (EL) program and local preschool offerings explained rapid growth. Staff confirmed that Cody opened an EL program and that some students shifted from Montclair; they also said that preschool students often remain at the same building, contributing to sustained enrollment increases.
Several board members praised HR and building-level support, but one raised succession concerns for the district’s experienced staff: with high tenure, a future cohort of retirements could create staffing gaps. Staff and board members said succession planning and continued recruitment are priorities.
The district also reported employee-benefit management steps, including increased use of the Employee Assistance Program following prior access problems with CHI, which staff said aided employees with ongoing care needs.
The meeting closed the discussion on staffing with staff available to answer follow-up questions and to provide further details on the induction program and recruitment initiatives.
