COLUMBIA, S.C. — The teacher shortage is something South Carolina schools have been suffering from every year. With the pandemic worsening the problem, districts in the Midlands have hundreds of vacancies.
“This isn't something new, it's just something that has been exacerbated by the pandemic and by the pressures that are being put on schools,” said Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
As a high school teacher himself, Kelly worries the shortage may be getting worse. “Last school year, 700 classrooms across South Carolina started the year without a certified teacher; a 26% increase over the prior school year," explained Kelly.
He added that the vacancies cause bigger classroom sizes and bigger burdens for teachers that are in the building, which may force them to leave down the line.
Kelly warns that “if we don't figure out a way to address this problem and reverse the trend, student achievement will continue to suffer, and we'll have even more vacancies, year after year.”
News19 reached out to school districts in the Midlands to see how they’re faring.
Of the 13 that got back to us, a total of 373 vacancies were reported.
Five of the districts (Calhoun County, Saluda County, Newberry County, Lexington Three and Lexington Four) said they are almost fully staffed with just a few openings posted online.
On the other hand, districts like Richland One have 128 teacher vacancies. Sumter County has 80.
Several districts have hosted job fairs and recruitment events to fill the openings. Others are advertising hefty sign on bonuses. For example, Lexington Two is offering $2,500 for new hires.
Districts hope the salary increase from the state budget will also attract more talent. In the meantime, many are utilizing substitutes and reaching out to retired educators to come back.
However, Kelly worries COVID-19 will continue to worsen the shortage.
“Our schools are inadequately staffed in too many areas, and as a result, if students return to school this fall, and we have to quarantine because of high rates of spread of COVID-19 in the community, we don't have the staffing to cover that in too many schools, which is going to mean a wholesale disruption of education for students."
Kelly implores the community to do what they can to slow the spread of the virus so they can stay in school.
News19 received data from all Midlands school districts except for Orangeburg County, Clarendon Two and Clarendon Four.