Local SC school districts are looking for extra help because of COVID staff shortages
Local school districts are feeling the pressure of the pandemic when it comes to ensuring school services have enough staff to operate successfully.
On Monday, Lexington 1 issued a call for more bus drivers in a district that has seen delays due to a driver shortage. One week earlier, neighboring Lexington-Richland 5 announced a search for more substitute teachers to keep classrooms fully staffed.
The pandemic has led to a sharp increase in staff shortages at Midlands schools. Last last year, parents on the Lexington 1 bus route in Pelion saw significant delays in getting their children to and from school when there weren’t enough drivers available to drive the routes.
Currently, the district has 30 open bus driver positions. Bus-riders often get home late because of COVID-related capacity restrictions on buses, as well as high rates of absenteeism among drivers, including some put into quarantine, said Lexington 1 spokeswoman Kathryn McPhail.
“Occasionally, some bus riders are getting home later,” McPhail said. “We double route buses daily, as we did last year. On a few days this school year, we’ve had to triple route buses.”
The classroom has also been hit hard by staff shortages. Lexington 1 has seen more than two dozen openings in teaching positions this fall, including some teachers who resigned in the middle of the school year.
Lexington-Richland 5 is using an education staffing company, Kelly Education, to hire more substitute teachers for Chapin and Irmo schools, something the district identified as a need for the remainder of the school year.
“Substitutes are valued team members in School District Five and play an integral role in ensuring students continue to receive necessary education, even in the absence of the teacher,” said Tamara Turner, the chief of human resources in Lexington-Richland 5. “Their role has grown in importance as the district responds to the absences of teachers who are out sick, quarantining, or caring for others during the pandemic. As a result, there is an increased need to attract and retain caring professionals with passion and enthusiasm for working with young people to serve as substitutes.”
Lexington 2 is also asking for more substitutes, citing a shrinking pool of available teachers for fill-in spots. Those teachers would work on an “as-needed” basis for schools in Cayce and West Columbia.
“Daily substitutes choose when, where, and how often they’d like to work with 24/7 access to an online scheduling system,” said district spokeswoman Dawn Kujawa. “Long-term substitutes also are needed.”
COVID-related staff shortages in some schools have led them to modify class schedules or even shut down for the day.
The minimum requirement for a substitute teacher in South Carolina is a high school diploma or a GED. They work a flexible schedule and have access to bonuses, medical and dental coverage and a 401(k) plan, the district said. Interested parties in Lexington-Richland 5 are asked to email a resume to 544C@Kellyservices.com, or create a profile and apply online at kellyservices.com. In Lexington 2, you can apply with the ESS placement service on their website.
Bus drivers, meanwhile, make between $14.05 and $21.30 an hour, and usually work from 6 to 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Lexington 1 said. Training and assistance in getting a commercial driver’s license are available. Applicants are asked to apply on the school district website.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 11:20 AM.
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