CHESTERFIELD, S.C. — Nearly 7,000 students in Chesterfield County are headed back to the classroom.
They are the first district in our area to head back to school and there are some big changes as districts across the Palmetto state look to recruit and retain teachers.
This year, the district is moving away from the traditional school calendar and kicking off a new modified, year-around school calendar.
The unique schedule also comes with more days off spread out throughout the year, including two intersession weeks where school is out for one week in October and another week in February.
It’s a move some districts are transitioning to help out teachers at schools work to fill vacancies across the Palmetto state.
"There's been an increasing number of vacant teaching positions in South Carolina. Last year, it was a 39% increase over the prior year and what I'm hearing anecdotally from teachers around the state right now, makes me think it's not gotten any better," Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association said.
It's an issue counties across the state are experiencing.
To attract talent, some districts are increasing pay, school stipends and even adding uninterrupted time for lunch with some at or near full staff.
"While pay isn't the only factor that contributes to teacher shortages,” Kelly said. “You're foolish to not acknowledge that pay is a significant way to recruit and retain talent in any sector."
Chesterfield County is looking to hire teachers, instructional assistants, bus drivers, and food service operators.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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