The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District is excelling in its efforts towards diversity hiring and staff retention, as per the staffing report presented at the recent Board of Education Meeting.
The district not only surpassed its goal of 95% staff of color retention for the second consecutive year with a rate of 97.4%, but also managed to increase its staff of color hiring rate to 20.26% from last year's 15.8%. This is a significant step towards the district's aim of boosting staff of color numbers by 10% by 2024-2025.
Moreover, the report highlights positive developments such as successfully filling vacancies in areas such as custodial, transportation, and food service, which had been facing shortages in recent years. The district has also improved its substitute teacher fill rates, rising from last year's 57.8% to the current 71.9%.
The district's diversity and retention efforts have been further supported by initiatives such as pay adjustments, enhanced professional development, and expanded mentoring programs. The Employee Referral Program has also been successful, resulting in 34 referrals being processed for various positions during the last school year, and 16 so far this year.
Last school year, a work group focused on recruitment and retention hired Sherry Smith as the Talent and Recruitment Specialist. Sherry's expertise and dedication have been instrumental in advancing these efforts within the district. Her leadership and focus have contributed significantly to the success seen in staff diversity hiring and retention.
While the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District has made significant progress in recruiting and retaining staff of color, there has been a decrease in the overall staff retention rate. However, the district is actively addressing this challenge by implementing several measures.
To retain valuable staff members, the district has implemented salary market adjustments to ensure competitive compensation. Additionally, professional development opportunities are being provided to support the growth and job satisfaction of the staff. The district is also prioritizing communication and engagement by organizing listening sessions to gather feedback and better understand the needs and concerns of the staff.
To read the full report, click here