RICHMOND, Va. -- Time is ticking for many school districts to try to hire more staff before students return to learn.
However, three different school districts in Central Virginia claim they are starting this school year with no vacancies.
Amelia County, set to start school on August 10, is one of them.
While the district technically has two open positions, one for a foreign language teacher and one for a school counselor, Superintendent Dr. Lori Harper said those positions are being temporarily filled.
"The teacher staff shortages are a problem that's probably going to exist for quite a while, so we have to be proactive when it comes to this process and think outside the box and work with people who might qualify for those teaching credentials, or you know, counseling credentials," Harper said.
Goochland County Public Schools, set to start August 22, is also returning in full force.
Assistant Superintendent of Administration Dr. Andy Armstrong said the district's competitive salary may play a factor in recruiting and retaining staff, citing the importance of starting off the school year strong.
"When you start the year not fully staffed, sure, there's that pull that you have on your students, but it's also important to take care of your staff and that does adversely affect them and we recognize that," Armstrong said. "We know it's going to not just be best for kids, but also for other teachers in our community who won't be having to cover classes during their planning periods. Little things like that go a long way."
Superintendent Dr. Doug Straley with Louisa County Public Schools said his district started fully staffed on August 10 because of the work environment.
"What's really important for our team here in Louisa, is to make sure our educators feel that appreciation, they feel that passion from the community for the work they do each day," Straley said. "When you're appreciated and you're loved for it, you want to come in and be a part of it and that makes it exciting. That's the environment we're really trying to establish here in Louisa."
Larger districts are facing the start of school short-handed.
- Chesterfield County Public Schools is now reporting 245 total teacher vacancies
- Richmond Public Schools reported 163 vacancies earlier in July
- Henrico County Public Schools is reporting 211 current vacancies
"You might hear 200 teaching vacancies, and certainly we want to continue to reduce that number, but when you're talking about thousands of teachers across Henrico County Public Schools, that's a small percentage of our classrooms that we're still seeking to fill right now," said Superintendent Dr. Amy Cashwell.
Cashwell said the district is working to recruit staff externally and internally, even offering positions to high school students who express an interest in teaching after they graduate from college.
However, despite the shortage, she's hopeful the district will be ready to welcome students back on August 29.
"We're rethinking schedules and staffing plans, to make sure that we're covered and we have drivers on our buses. We're prepared to welcome our students on the first day," Cashwell said. "We're so excited to welcome everyone back."
