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WESD reports dozens of classified vacancies, emphasizes retention and university partnerships
Summary
HR reported 5 classroom vacancies, 11.5 SPED vacancies and 254 open classified positions districtwide (data as of 07/22). HR described job fairs, university partnerships and a shift to retention-focused recruiting to reduce turnover.
Washington Elementary School District’s human resources team told the governing board that staffing at the start of the 2026–27 year remains a key operational focus, with dozens of open positions across certificated and classified roles.
Mr. Morris said the slides reflected data “as of 07/22” and summarized openings compared with the prior year: “Last year, we had 5.5 positions open. Currently, we have 5 classroom teaching positions available,” he reported, and said SPED vacancies decreased from 13.5 to 11.5. He added that the district listed 254 open classified positions in the attached PDF and noted that some hires may have occurred in the 24 hours since the slide was produced.
On recruitment and retention, HR described recent strategies: a job fair that drew about 125 attendees (largely classified applicants), expanded outreach on partner job boards and plans to showcase district schools to university student-teachers through partnerships with institutions such as Arizona State University. Morris said the HR team is shifting toward retention work — including targeted stay interviews — to reduce turnover rather than relying solely on recruitment.
Board members raised questions about specific hard-to-fill roles (nurses, bus drivers, HVAC technicians, crossing guards) and discussed combining fractional roles or using vendor/contract staff for specialized needs. Mr. Morris said paraeducator and special-education contract support is used to meet IEP obligations and that facilities uses vendor HVAC technicians during busy seasons.
