In an effort to improve employee retention, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials began conducting exit interviews for the first time over the summer.

More than 215 interviews were conducted through informal one-on-ones during May and June with employees who resigned after the 2023-24 school year, Chief Human Resources Officer Kelly Mires said. The exit interviews aim to provide a better understanding of departing employees’ experiences.

“It gives us the ability to identify areas where we can enhance our workplace environment, and it gives us a way to recognize what we are doing well,” Mires said.

In a nutshell

Mires presented an exit interview summary to the board of trustees during an Aug. 26 meeting. Nearly 220 employees resigned at the end of the 2023-24 school year, which is a decline from 2022-23.

The information presented was a high-level overview, but the HR team intends to share specific information with departments, principals and supervisors for review, Mires said.

The exit interviews included four questions:

• What is your reason for leaving GCISD?
• What did you enjoy most about the district and your job in GCISD?
• What did you like least about the district and your job in GCISD?
• Would you recommend your school or department to others as a good place to work?

The results

Most respondents fit into four different reasons provided for leaving the district. More than 20% stated they were going to work in another school district, and 19% stated they were moving from the area, according to the presentation.

Other reasons given for leaving include:

• Staying home with children
• Received a promotion in another district
• Found a higher paying job
• Found a job closer to home
• Health reasons
• Did not complete job certification requirements
• Personal reasons

Resigning employees reported they loved the students, growth opportunities and district culture while they worked at GCISD, according to the presentation. On the other hand, pay and benefits, commute times, and price of housing within the district were cited as factors employees liked least about GCISD.

More than 93% of employees who resigned said they would recommend GCISD to others as a great place to work, according to the presentation.

Also of note

GCISD has hired 167 teachers and 17 professional positions so far for the 2024-25 school year, Human Resources Director David Denning said during meeting. Professional hires include assistant principals, counselors and technology positions. The district has also hired 45 auxiliary positions and 48 paraprofessional positions, he said.

Last year, GCISD had hired 214 teachers and 40 professional positions, according to a presentation. Despite hiring less this summer, the quality has been "absolutely outstanding," Denning said.