With the Oregon school year over, HR departments are busy making sure they have the teachers and other staff needed for the first day of school two months from now. This summer, they鈥檙e getting a little help from the state.
In the McMinnville School District, Human Resources Director Steffanie Frost says the district鈥檚 retention rate is usually between 93% to 95%. That鈥檚 no longer the case.
鈥淲e have noticed the last two years that rate has dipped below 90%,鈥� Frost said.
But Frost and other school officials across Oregon have access to grant funds to help retain current staff and recruit new staff.
Legislators passed House Bill 4030 in the 2022 session, allocating $78 million to Oregon school districts, charter schools, and education service districts to pay for the grants.
The Oregon Department of Education received 266 applications for the grant funds. As of June 28, 220 were approved, with 46 requiring additional clarifications.
The legislation includes $22 million for other education programs, including a workforce data system and money to reimburse substitute teachers for training.
In McMinnville, Frost said a staff survey directed the district鈥檚 funding plan to spend its $854,147 in HB4030 funds.
鈥淲hat we identified as our first problem of practice... was feeling overwhelmed, burned out, not able to meet the students needs and balance their own needs, which causes a lower staff retention rate, higher rate of burnout, more people wanting to retire because they just don鈥檛 want to do it anymore,鈥� Frost said.
To respond to that, the district plans to use its grant and other funding sources to offer staff retention bonuses, as well as money to every school district building to spend on employee wellness.
Other funds will focus on hard-to-fill positions, including bilingual and special education staff.
ODE required school district grants to fall under several broad parameters. Districts can spend funds on diversifying its workforce, reducing burnout, and training.
Klamath County School District will use its $956,589 to hire four part-time mentors for new teachers and invest in professional development for certified and classified staff.
Beaverton will focus some of its $5 million in funds on paid training for substitute teachers and educational assistants. Beaverton鈥檚 executive director for strategic initiatives David Williams said training for subs will help support those staff members as well as the teachers they鈥檙e covering for, by ensuring that classrooms will be led by a trained substitute.
鈥淲e鈥檙e providing upfront training... so that our educational assistants, our paraeducators, feel like they鈥檙e adequately trained and able to manage those circumstances, particularly in these areas where students are high needs,鈥� Williams said.
Like McMinnville, the district is using some of its funds on retention bonuses. That includes a $1,000 retention bonus to certified employees for this coming school year.
In Beaverton, HB 4030-funded retention efforts extend beyond the classroom. Williams said the district is working on 鈥渢argeted pay adjustments鈥� for transportation and nutrition service workers to better support them.
鈥淲e鈥檙e recognizing that there鈥檚 a workforce challenge across the system and we鈥檙e trying to respond to that,鈥� he said.
But officials say the grant funds provided by House Bill 4030 are not a long-term solution.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to drive systemic change on a one-year grant,鈥� Williams said.
In McMinnville, Frost said the district is continuing its work.
鈥淟ong-term, it will help us retain people,鈥� Frost said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it addresses a problem we already have of, there鈥檚 not enough people in the field of education to start with, especially in these specialty areas.鈥�
That鈥檚 why McMinnville is a part of the , which includes more than 20 other school districts and community colleges. Frost said creative thinking, nontraditional programs, and more university recruitment are a few tools groups can use to help solve school staffing issues.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 get here overnight, we didn鈥檛 end up with this workforce shortage overnight, and we鈥檙e not going to fix it overnight.鈥�
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