MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — As many school districts continue to grapple with ongoing teacher shortages, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district leaders said the district is also working to find employees for before- and after-school programs.
The district said the vacancies have caused the district to pull the programs from more than 20 schools, which limits resources available for kids who need it.
"We are struggling to rebound from the pandemic with our staffing," David LeGrand, the associate superintendent for student services, said.
He said prior to the pandemic, they operated over 100 sites, but now they are trying to maintain 80 sites.
"We just don’t have enough staff members to go beyond those 80 sites," LeGrand said.
CMS said not having enough employees for the before- and after-school programs puts a strain on both parents and students who depend on the extra help.
District leaders said the after-school programs not only improve social and emotional skills for students, but also play a huge role in addressing learning recovery and providing one-on-one help.
"Tutoring or help with homework may be offered," LeGrand said. "Any opportunity we have to teach students and reinforce what they’ve learned during the school day certainly helps them achieve at a higher level."
CMS released data showing improvements on test scores. As the district continue to work toward more progress, district leaders said barriers like this limit resources for students.
In efforts to staff up, the district has increased pay twice within the past 18 month and have contacted recent retirees. The district said having more employees would give them the opportunity to expand learning for students beyond regular school hours.
"If we had more staff, we could open up more sites," LeGrand said.
CMS said the district has partnered with NCWorks and is actively recruiting and hosting job fairs in efforts to fill those positions.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.