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Personnel committee hears quarterly HR update; board questions FTE, retention and 'hard-to-fill' roles
Summary
At the March 24, 2026 Orleans Parish School Board personnel committee meeting, staff reported recent hires, separations and promotions and described evaluation and grievance procedures; board members pressed for clearer FTE definitions, retention metrics and identification of 'hard-to-fill' roles.
Miss Yicia Dukes presented the personnel committee's quarterly update on March 24, reporting roughly nine to ten new hires, 13 separations including two retirements, and three promotions. Dukes said the organizational chart was updated as of the meeting and available on the district website, and she outlined the district's performance-evaluation cycle and an employee grievance process that excludes sexual-harassment complaints, which are handled separately.
The report matters because staffing levels and turnover affect classroom continuity and service delivery across the district. Dukes said the recent hires included school-based and central-office staff and that the district is tracking vacancies, promotions and separations to inform workforce planning.
Board members sought specific clarifications. Vice President Mr. Parker and others asked whether the term "FTE" referred to full-time equivalents and pressed Dukes to clarify the difference between "budgeted" and "filled" FTEs; Dukes said the report is intended to show what was budgeted versus what positions have been filled. Members also asked how the district will define and measure "high-performing" staff; Dukes cited staff serving special-education, ELL and gifted students as examples of positions prioritized for retention.
Several members asked the administration to identify "hard-to-fill" roles — for example, special-education and certain subject-teacher positions — so the board could consider whether incentives or targeted recruitment are needed. Dr. Fatima Fulmore said job descriptions and organizational-structure materials are provided annually with the budget and that staff can provide the specific links and files at the May budget presentation.
The update also covered the grievance process. Dukes said the procedure is captured in the district's personnel policies (section G) and in the employee handbook; one board member referenced "policy GA" in the discussion and Dukes agreed to check whether the board is formally involved at a particular level of the process and to follow up.
The committee did not adopt a related reporting timeline (see separate article). The administration and committee agreed to provide additional detail in future presentations, including clearer FTE accounting and definitions for retention metrics and hard-to-fill roles.
The committee moved on to other agenda items; several personnel-related items were deferred to April for further work.
