CENTRAL FLORIDA, Fla. — As students head back to school, some Central Florida counties are still looking for teachers to fill classrooms. While some school districts are showing signs of filling the hiring gap, there is still a need for classroom teachers.

What You Need To Know

  • While some school districts are showing signs of filling the hiring gap, there is still a need for classroom teachers.

  • School District leaders say they are using short- and long-term substitutes to fill gaps while they hire for permanent positions.

Lake County Schools are working to hire around 90 teachers and essential staff.

In July, 73 classroom vacancies were reported in Lake County, with 2,899 teachers on staff, compared to June 2022, when the district had 128 vacancies and over 3,100 teachers on staff.

Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay said the current need for teachers is spread throughout the county’s schools.

“Some schools might be looking for one or two, but for the most part, we expect we will start school fully staffed and maybe missing some of those specialized positions," Kornegay said.

While the district is looking to fill those spots too, Kornegay said parents shouldn’t be concerned about the specialized teaching vacancies.

The need for teachers is not specific to just Lake County.

Here’s a look at teacher vacancies across Central Florida since the pandemic.

Orange County:

  • 2020 - 2021: 147 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2021 - 2022: 452 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2022 - 2023: 483 Teacher Vacancies

Lake County:

  • 2021 - 2022: 125 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2022 - 2023: 92 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2023 - 2024: 73 Teacher Vacancies

Sumter County:

  • 2021 - 2022: 80 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2022 - 2023: 90 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2023 - 2024: 4 Teacher Vacancies

Osceola County:

  • 2021 - 2022: 158 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2022 - 2023: 120 Teacher Vacancies
  • 2023 - 2024: 78 Teacher Vacancies

Lake Howell High School teacher Bobby Agagnina said he has seen firsthand the need for more teachers in classrooms.

“It’s sad. So many times we go first day of school, and we still see long-term subs in these courses, and these are core curricular subjects as well that we’re seeing and there’s no teachers or no one ready to take these jobs,” Agagnina said.

Agagnina said many teachers are being scooped up by high-paying jobs in the private sector.

But there is hope with recently hired teacher Ana Carvalho.

She wants students to really understand the importance of studying hard.

“They need to believe that studying, the traditional process, is still around. You don’t need to just dream about being a soccer player or model. You can study. If you study, you are going to be free,” she said.

Many school districts said they are using short- and long-term substitutes to fill gaps while they hire for permanent positions.