Johnson County schools start year with hundreds of vacancies. The worst hit: Special ed
Johnson County is starting the school year with hundreds of positions unfilled, as districts in the region manage a record number of vacancies, especially in special education.
Labor shortages continue to plague school districts in Kansas and Missouri this year, as educators leave their jobs at higher rates and fewer applicants seek to replace them. Last month, Shane Carter, director of teacher licensure with the Kansas education department, said schools in the state reported 1,634 teacher vacancies this spring. That’s up from 1,381 the spring before, when officials warned it was the state’s worst-ever shortage.
The highest number continues to be in special education, with 377 teaching jobs unfilled across the state this spring.
Even in Johnson County school districts, which tend to pay teachers higher salaries than in urban and more rural areas, the special ed teacher shortage is acute. The Olathe district has eight vacant special education teacher jobs this month, while Blue Valley has 13 being filled by substitutes.
“Like many districts in Kansas and across our region, Blue Valley is challenged to find licensed special education teachers to meet the needs of our students. Just as in past years, Blue Valley has not had enough qualified applicants for open special education positions,” district spokeswoman Kaci Brutto said in an email.
Across the region, the vacancies mean that lesser qualified staff are often taking on those jobs, working under a waiver or provisional license, issued to teachers still finishing a special education degree. Some districts have contracted with virtual psychologists and case workers to serve students from afar.
That’s more difficult to manage due to a much larger shortage of paraprofessionals, staff who are uncertified but provide instructional, behavioral and other support to special ed students. Districts are required by law to provide paraprofessionals for many students with disabilities, ensuring they have the additional resources and one-on-one time they need.
The Olathe district still had 264 paraprofessional openings this month. Blue Valley had 85 openings, and Shawnee Mission had about 50 positions listed on its website. In smaller districts, De Soto still needs to hire 15 paras, and Spring Hill needs 18.
“In looking at our neighboring districts as well as non-educational employers, there is a significant shortage of workers. Unfortunately, we are not immune to the challenges of a competitive job market,” Erin Schulte, spokeswoman with the Olathe district, said in an email. “In addition, unlike other employment opportunities, there is no virtual option and limited flexibility as these positions support our students in a very hands-on capacity.”
Special education hit hardest
For years, districts have struggled to fill special education jobs, due to the strenuous certification requirements, difficult work and low pay. In Kansas, the average starting salary for teachers is roughly $40,000, according to the National Education Association.
Uncertified paraprofessionals on average make about $27,000 a year. Salaries in Johnson County typically hover around $16 an hour.
“The reasons for the open paraprofessional positions vary and include the competition we have in the Johnson County area with private industry and pay differential, desire for people to work from home or have more flexibility, and more jobs in the area than people to fill them,” Spring Hill district spokesman Christopher Villarreal said.
The added pressure in special education comes amid a decade-long underfunding in Kansas. Educators across the state have pleaded with lawmakers to increase special education funding, saying that many students likely aren’t receiving all of the services they need and are required by law.
Johnson County districts have tried to offer greater incentive to come aboard this summer, approving bonuses and salary bumps.
“Additionally, our HR team is working with a few of our paraprofessionals who are currently completing the necessary college courses to obtain their special education teaching certification. This is a great way to help grow our own and invest in our future needs as a district,” said Alvie Cater, spokesman with the De Soto district.
Schools are feeling the pressure in other areas, too.
A higher number of teachers across Kansas — 985 — left their jobs for reasons other than retirement last year, up from 732 the school year before, state officials report. And more openings across the state had no one apply.
Following special ed, the state continues to see more elementary teacher vacancies than other jobs.
Carter told the state board of education last month he hopes the teacher shortage has reached its peak, since the state reported about the same number of vacancies this spring as it did last fall.
Districts are raising pay, offering more incentives and finding creative ways to manage empty classrooms and educate, transport and feed students. And across Kansas City, many are filling in gaps by contracting with outside companies. The Spring Hill school board, for example, approved a contract to hire a fully virtual, certified science teacher.
For the first time, the Independence school district has adopted a four-day school week, aiming to better attract and retain staff. It’s the largest district in Missouri to do so, following a growing trend across the country.
Some Johnson County districts said that certified teaching positions have been relatively easier to fill this summer.
“The past couple of years have proven challenging due to the nationwide labor shortage,” Erin Schulte, with the Olathe district, said in an email. “However, across our 51 schools, we are fortunate to have very few certified teaching vacancies in our classrooms. Our greatest area of need for the upcoming school year is in support roles like paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers and more.”
Bus driver shortage
Maintaining enough bus drivers remains a challenge. Both Olathe and Blue Valley eliminated bus routes for some students this school year.
Olathe also could eliminate routes as needed on a rolling basis, requiring families to find alternative transportation on days when bus drivers aren’t available. The district will cut down on field trips. And bus stops for secondary students will be farther way, increasing from a quarter-mile from their homes to a half-mile.
The district also continues to study changing school start and end times, so that bus drivers could take on more routes.
Cater said the De Soto school board agreed to shift by five minutes the start and end times at its Lenexa middle school, Mill Creek, because some elementary buses were arriving late after their middle school routes.
He said the district anticipates transportation challenges for sports and activities this fall.
“Just like last school year, we may have to schedule games to start later or transport students earlier so that we have our buses in place to run their normal routes at the end of the school day,” Cater said. “This is a challenge that many districts in the area have faced due to a need for drivers.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
