Northeastern Local Schools is still seeing minor issues with staffing but are close to hiring all the staff they need. However, they are still looking for substitutes in several areas including bus drivers, aides and paraprofessional, teachers, custodians, food service and nurses.
“We believe the pandemic has impacted hiring substitutes, but we have seen substitute shortages in the past, so we can’t say definitively that this shortage is directly due to COVID,” said Superintendent John Kronour.
Tecumseh Local Schools Superintendent Paula Crew said the district’s staff shortages have come from absences due to COVID-19.
“We have had a high amount of staff members absent due to either needing to quarantine because they were a close contact or they tested positive for COVID,” Crew said.
Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Danielle Prohaska echoed Crew, saying some shortages come from absences.
“We are short substitutes in all areas. Substitute shortages were always an issue but the number needed each day due to COVID related absences has made coverage especially difficult,” Prohaska said.
Other schools that are experiencing staffing shortages include Clark-Shawnee Local, Greenon Local, Northwestern Local, Graham Local, Mechanicsburg, Urbana City and Triad Local Schools.
The shortage has even caused some schools to close and combine bus routes.
Last month, Greenon was unable to provide transportation one day after school and had to close another day due to a bus driver testing positive. When students returned to school, there were adjustments to transportation such as combined routes and delays.
Some of these schools are posting on social media about job openings, and have even increased hourly rates or is offering sign-on bonuses.
Triad is offering a total of a $500 sign on bonus for bus drivers, which includes $250 after 90 days and $250 after 160 days.
“We have added the $500 bonus to try to get drivers... We also pay for their background check and training,” said Superintendent Vickie Hoffman.
Northwestern notes on its Facebook page that it has increased hourly wages and encourages anyone interested in working in the district to apply. Substitute teachers can earn $105 per day while pay is $15 an hour for bus drivers, $13 an hour for substitute custodians and $11 an hour for building aides and cooks.
Although most schools are experiencing a shortage, some are not feeling the impact.
“As it relates to COVID-19 staffing shortages, we are not seeing a noticeable increase in the use of substitute teachers and bus drivers. However, we always have a need for qualified individuals to apply for open substitute positions,” said Springfield City Schools Superintendent Bob Hill.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said last month that he knows there is a problem with bus driver shortages and has asked his team to help come up with some solutions.
“This is clearly a real, real problem out there. I don’t know what we can do but I’ve asked our team to see if they can come up with some ways to help,” he said during a press conference. “It’s a problem, I recognize it’s a problem, and we’re taking a hard look at this to see what we can come up with.”
DeWine said he asked the schools that have contacted him if they had any specific ideas.
“We are looking at the licensing issue and if there’s anything we can do there. We’re looking at man power situations, so we’re looking at who else in our communities, in the state, has the legal ability to drive a bus and has a skill set needed to drive a bus,” he said. “These buses contain our most precious things that we have and that’s our children. We want to make sure whatever we do, we do in a very careful matter.”
Many school districts around the U.S. are experiencing staffing shortages due to COVID-19, including California, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas, according to the Associated Press.
According to AP, a June survey of 2,690 members of the National Education Association showed that 32% said the pandemic drove them to plan to leave the profession earlier than expected. Money is also not the main problem as school districts have funds from federal relief money to hire additional staff, but people just aren’t applying.
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