AUHSD HR and operations highlight staffing, unions and student services

Brad Jackson, assistant superintendent of human resources, said human resources focuses on recruiting, onboarding, professional development and labor relations across roughly 3,000 employees in the district. Jackson said the district values collaboration with its employee associations and noted there are six unions representing staff; a core HR objective is to recruit and retain staff who align with district values.

Jackson described the district’s employee wellness programs and supports and emphasized labor relations as foundational to operations: ‘‘When the district works very, very well with its unions, you have really good labor relations,’’ he said. He framed good labor relations as improving outcomes for students by enabling recruitment, retention and collaborative problem-solving with employee groups.

Business services presented operational metrics that support student services: transportation that serves about 1,600 students across 66 daily routes and a food services program that provided roughly 6,200,000 meals last year (about 1.7 million breakfasts and 4.5 million lunches). The district also noted booster-club training scheduled for March 11 and meal-kit accommodations for Ramadan beginning tomorrow.

Outlook and next steps: HR will continue recruitment and union collaboration; business services will proceed with budget forecasting and operational support tied to enrollment and bond-funded facility work.