Workforce Housing

Novato Unified School District wants to be viewed as a destination district for employees who want to be part of our commitment to engage, inspire and empower all students.

What?

Student learning is at the heart of our work, and attracting and employing people who share our vision to engage, inspire and empower students to achieve their best is a high priority. It is also an increasingly difficult task given three practical realities:

  • Public Education Funding – is unreliable and compromises our ability to pay commensurate with the cost of living in Marin.
  • Staffing/Teacher Shortages – present challenges across education, so we must consider our points of difference from other employers.
  • Cost of Living – this practical reality makes other regions more affordable and attractive, and or for those who choose to work here, many deal with hours of commute time every day. This means it’s harder or impossible for them to engage in after-school and activities that create a strong connection and belonging to the community, and our children.

To address these challenges, the Board of Education made a commitment to explore the possibility of workforce housing, and at this time, we have dedicated resources to take a deep dive into the subject, which we are optimistic that we can make happen.

We see workforce housing, customized to meet our needs and to fit into our community, as one of several strategies being used to retain, attract and employ exceptional and dedicated talent.

“…a destination district for employees who want to be part of our commitment to engage, inspire and empower all students.”

why?

Workforce housing is part of a broad District effort to attract and retain great people.

To attract and retain high quality education professionals and support service professionals we are working to create a culture that cares for its employees, allowing them to engage their voice and professional expertise in service to students; they must be inspired to be possibility thinkers so that we are continuously improving; and they must be empowered to add their voices and opinions. Some of the things that we provide to make NUSD a great place to teach and work:

  • New teacher support (induction) program through Sonoma County Office of Education
  • Paid professional development
  • Paid professional learning time (collaboration with colleagues at the grade, site, and district levels)
  • Partner program with Sonoma State University for dual immersion and English language teachers
  • Recruitment Fairs
  • Social Media recruitment

 

WHEN AND HOW?

This is a multi-stage process that begins with a commitment to dedicate the necessary resources to fully examine the possibility of workforce housing, and we are in the exploratory stage – not development or construction. To be clear, a successful project will take about, and no less than, three years to begin the construction phase.

Upcoming committee meetings

April 15, 2024 – 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Meetings will be held at district offices
1015 7th Street, Novato, CA
Room 107

Agendas and minutes

Project Updates

The Board of Education convened a Special Meeting on December 12, 2023

The Board received a report from Education Workforce Housing Director, Derek Knell. Derek’s presentation included information on what has happened to date, what is being done currently, and what will be done next. The presentation is available here.

What has happened to date:

  • Board of Education approved hiring a Director of Staff Housing Development
  • Board of Education approved forming an Education Workforce Housing Committee

What is currently happening:

  • The composition of the committee was determined and members are being put into place
    • Committee meeting dates have been set for Feb. 5, 2024 and April 15, 2024
    • The purpose of the committee was defined as a place to bring the voice of the public into the discussion through community representatives
    • The public is welcome to attend the committee meetings
    • The committee is a Board Committee and is subject to the Brown Act
    • Minutes and Agendas from committee meetings will be posted on the District website
    • The committee is advisory only. The Board is the decision-making body.
  • It was noted in a timeline that NUSD is currently in the Exploration Phase of the project
  • The Director is working on property analysis, employee demographics and establishing priorities

What will be happening:

  • The committee will begin meeting
  • District officials and the Director will continue community outreach to create awareness about and understanding of the project
    • They will answer questions and provide information
  • The webpage on the District website will go live
  • There will be an employee survey that will be used to compare with the demographic study
  • The Board will receive survey and study findings
  • The Board will evaluate options and provide direction.

There were four members of the public present who commented on the topic of Workforce Housing

In the Media

March 16, 2024: Novato school district to vet properties for workforce housing – Marin Independent Journal

February 7, 2024: District picks consultant for workforce housing program – Marin Independent Journal

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING?

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WORK FOR NOVATO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT