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District reports 97% teacher retention in August 2025; outlines recruitment, NPS and hard‑to‑fill targets
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Summary
Dee Garcia presented midyear talent and employee‑engagement metrics, reporting a 97% retention rate in August 2025 and setting goals to reach 98% retention and improve Net Promoter Score from 6.11 to 6.98 by 2030; the update highlighted university partnerships and improved substitute‑fill rates via a staffing vendor.
Dee Garcia, the district’s director of talent acquisition and employee engagement, told the West Allis‑West Milwaukee School Board on April 22 that the district retained 97% of offered professional contracts in August 2025 and set multiyear goals to raise that retention toward 98% by 2030.
Garcia said the retention calculation is based on contracts offered in May through the June 1 due date and counts those who reported to work in September, excluding hires made between June 1 and Sept. 1 and excluding hourly staff such as educational assistants from that retention figure. "In August 2025, we were able to retain 97% of educators," Garcia said.
The presentation also flagged recruitment and engagement metrics: a current Net Promoter Score of 6.11 with a target of 6.98 by 2030 and a 92% fulfillment rate for hard‑to‑fill roles that the district aims to increase to 98% by August 2030. Garcia discussed resignation breakdowns (about 69.7% of recent resignations were teachers; 21% of those were special‑education teachers) and said the district hired 48 new professional staff over the summer but lost some hires to other offers.
Garcia outlined targeted actions: partnerships with Carroll University and UW–Milwaukee, outreach to Grand Canyon University for flexible degree pathways, digital recruitment expansion via K12 JobSpot and Frontline Education, and a staffing partnership with Kelly that improved substitute‑fill rates. She listed currently posted positions, including school psychologists, two deans of learning and engagement, an instructional coordinator and several teacher openings.
Board members pressed for more granular metrics. "When we're presenting this as retention percent, it's the percent of offering a position to somebody that they then stay in for one full school year," Board member Lee said, and urged tracking midyear churn separately because repeated refills on the same seat are disruptive even if the position is ultimately filled. Garcia agreed the district will refine measures and said exit interviews are already yielding actionable themes: workload, feeling valued, leadership clarity and desire for career pathways.
Garcia described retention supports including mentorship for early‑career teachers, professional development during contracted PD days (so staff are compensated), and university partnerships offering reduced tuition pathways for educational assistants seeking degrees and licensure. The board discussed career ladders for educational assistants, and Garcia said the district is working to publicize pathways and support employees who want to advance without leaving the district.
The board did not take formal action on the KPI report. Garcia said the team will continue refining metrics and return with follow‑up information as requested.
