Are central Kentucky school districts fully staffed for the upcoming school year?

KENTUCKY (WKYT) – For many districts in central Kentucky, a new school year is only weeks away, but for the whole operation to work within those school districts, jobs need to be filled.

“This is a big time of the year for hiring in most public school districts. Madison County is no different,” said Erin Stewart, the Public Information Officer for Madison County Schools.

Stewart says her district will receive a lot of applications right before the school year, which starts August 14.

“Most of those tend to be support staff positions a lot of our teacher positions get filled kind of as the school year is ending.”

Stewart says her district needs about 50 to 60 positions filled.

Those jobs range from bus drivers, paraeducators, cafeteria and office workers.

“Looking at the list that are still available in the district, this year seems to be the most normal to what pre-COVID would have looked like,” said Stewart.

In Jessamine County, school officials from that district say there are an estimated 25 to 30 jobs that need to be filled in all areas. Officials tell WKYT they are in dire need of special education teachers, telling us they need seven special education teachers, which they say is a high number this time of year, and they don’t have enough applicants in the job pool.

In Clark County, Superintendent Dustin Howard says the district’s human resources department has done an excellent job in staff retention.

“Here, in Clark County, we have filled every position except for around nine teaching slots and less than 20 in the entire district.”

Howard says his district has retention packages to keep staff turnover low.

“Staff are having families they can’t afford to work because of child care so we’ve opened up a center that has almost 100 kids in it.”

Districts trying to fill positions as the summer break nears its end.

To see the openings at Madison County Schools, click here.

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