During a recent government meeting, the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) highlighted its ongoing efforts to enhance recruitment and diversity within its teaching and classified staff. The human resources team reported a collaborative approach involving building administrators and the SMSD recruitment team to attract top candidates, particularly from universities with strong teacher preparation programs.

The district has established robust relationships with Kansas teacher colleges and universities, participating in recruitment events throughout the state. For the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, SMSD aims to recruit a diverse candidate pool, focusing on the Midwest, including states like Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas, as well as historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions.

In the past year, the human resources team participated in 50 recruitment events, primarily targeting education-specific career fairs. They plan to maintain this level of engagement in the coming year, including hosting a teacher interview event on November 14th.

The meeting also addressed the demographic composition of the district's classified staff. Notably, the total number of employees in various demographic groups has either increased or remained stable, with significant growth in American Indian, Alaskan Native, Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial employee groups. While the percentage of Asian or Pacific Islander staff decreased, their numbers remained unchanged. The overall percentage of Caucasian employees increased, but their representation within the classified workforce saw a decline.

Despite ongoing challenges from staffing shortages due to the pandemic, the district reported a nearly 5% improvement in filling classified positions compared to the previous two years. To bolster recruitment, SMSD has engaged in various strategies, including hosting classified career fairs and launching a digital campaign to promote open positions within a 25-mile radius of Overland Park.

A key factor in attracting new talent has been the recent adoption of a new pay scale for classified positions, which now offers a minimum wage of $16 per hour. This adjustment aims to enhance the district's competitiveness in the job market and has contributed to an increase in staffing levels across all classified departments.