It has become a challenge for school districts to hire teachers, including in USD 475.

That message was conveyed to the Board of Education this week in Junction City.

Bridget Seeman, Director of Human Resource Services for the school district, said USD 475 has the lowest application rate in her three years with the district. “We have spread our recruiting to at least five different web sites that we’re trying to look at, that we’re trying to reach out as far as we can, as wide as we can, so we can get teachers.” As of Monday evening Seeman reported there were 23 teaching vacancies in the district.

During the school board meeting it was noted approximately 600 teachers have left the state and approximately in Kansas have left the profession.

Superintendent Dr. Corbin Witt said it’s a struggle to find teachers right now. “We’re in a  situation where the state as a whole is losing teachers. And we are coming up with a teacher shortage, and I think everybody’s worried.”

The Board was told the pool of substitute teachers for USD 475 is about on par with the past, but classified job openings have also become difficult to fill.