Marion County students will be back to school in just one week. Monday was the first day back for teachers who were busy unpacking boxes, putting up billboards, and getting their classrooms ready for the new school year.
"I'm really glad I've got this week to learn the ropes, learn the school and get my feet wet this week before the students come," first year Osceola Middle School math teacher Staci Buckhalter said. "I couldn't imagine only having like two days before students show up."
But many teachers could be showing up for the first time to classrooms the same day as students next Monday, if they are there at all. The district started Monday with 100 teacher positions to fill, by midday that number had shrunk to 73.
School District Public Information Officer Kevin Christian says the difficult task of filling schools with teachers began last November when voters approved a $15 million dollar a year plan to hire back art, music, physical education teachers and media specialists who were laid off two years ago. Then they got more money from the state to hire even more teachers, and had to deal with retirements and departures.
"We'll be hiring 400 to 500 teachers and we haven't had a hiring phase like that in eight, nine, 10 years," Christian said.
Positions paid for by the referendum have been filled, but now the district is scurrying to fill the remaining classrooms. At this point Christian admits they can't necessarily match teachers in their fields of expertise.
"Are we going to have an English teacher in every English classroom? That's the goal. Are we going to have a Spanish teacher in every Spanish classroom? That's the goal, but sometime those candidates aren't out there," Christian said.
Teachers would then have one year to get certified in a new field, or reapply for another position at year's end.
Students will get their classroom assignments later this week, Christian doesn't think they will be needed, but said open positions could always be filled by subs in the short term.