During a recent government meeting, the Olathe School District's human resources team presented an overview of their recruitment efforts for the 2024-2025 school year, highlighting the challenges and successes in staffing the district's educational needs.

Dr. Cathy Donovan and Mr. Justin Howe, directors of elementary and secondary human resources respectively, reported on the significant turnover from the previous year, which included 64 retirements, 136 resignations, and 17 leaves of absence. They emphasized that these numbers are typical for a large district like Olathe, which encompasses over 56 instructional buildings.

The presentation detailed the reasons behind staff departures, with 36% attributed to retirements and 28% to family or personal reasons. The team noted a concerning trend of educators leaving the profession for other careers, a situation exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also shared that 12% of departing staff accepted positions in other Kansas districts, while some relocated out of state.

In response to these challenges, the district has ramped up its recruitment efforts, with 19 confirmed college and university events planned, including outreach to historically black colleges and universities. The team is also organizing district-specific recruitment events, including a fall interview night that has already attracted 33 candidates.

The board members expressed their support for these initiatives, with discussions around the importance of aligning student teachers with hard-to-fill positions in subjects like science, math, and special education. The human resources team confirmed that they are actively working to ensure that student teachers are screened and interviewed for these critical roles.

Additionally, the board inquired about the implementation of \"stay interviews\" to better understand staff retention. The human resources team acknowledged the value of such interviews and indicated plans to incorporate them in the future.

Overall, the meeting underscored the district's commitment to addressing staffing challenges and enhancing recruitment strategies to ensure that quality educators are available for students in the Olathe School District.