Education human resources (HR) professionals have often been neglected in education research. This study seeks to better understand their role in the American school industry, by first examining how districts conceptualize the position of HR professionals and then exploring how the professionals themselves understand their role in school business. Emphasis is placed on identifying the dominant employee management philosophy (i.e. personnel vs. strategic HR management) that is promoted for and practiced by the professionals. Data was collected by document analysis and focus group interviews. The document analysis was conducted with data from a recruitment/job advertising system that most school employers use in the state of California, USA. The focus group was conducted with HR professionals in primary and secondary education institutions across Northern California (n = 14). Findings suggest that personnel management is emphasized for HR professionals in public school districts more often than strategic HR management. Results are discussed.