As school year approaches, EVSC still looking to fill teacher, bus driver jobs

EVANSVILLE — EVSC thinks there's a good chance all full-time certified teacher positions will be filled by the time students begin returning to school in two weeks.

There were 17 such unfilled positions as of Monday night, but the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation board authorized Superintendent Dr. David Smith to go ahead and hire new teachers who have been recommended by school principals. Formal hiring approval would come at the school board's next meeting on August 7 — the day the first wave of students is due to begin arriving.

It's an improvement over last year, when 25 full-time teaching positions remained unfilled at the end of July. Then, more than 2,000 full-time teaching positions were still unfilled in Indiana schools as of July 28, according to the Indiana Department of Education, which maintains a searchable jobs website. This year's number was more like 400 as of Tuesday night, but there are questions about how precisely accurate the state's site is. It showed zero openings for full-time teachers in EVSC.

EVSC teachers are due back to work on August 3, but there's plenty going on between now and then. About 160 new teachers are due to attend orientation at Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center beginning Wednesday. The state's third-largest school district, EVSC employs roughly 1,750 teachers, counselors and principals to educate about 22,500 students.

The teachers will start the new year without a new contract, said Evansville Teachers Association President Lori Young. Negotiations can begin Sept. 15 by state law, Young said, and must be concluded by Nov. 15.

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Long-term, Young said there's still not enough teachers to go around everywhere.

"We don’t have as many students who want to enroll to become teachers, and I think most people realize if you’re becoming a teacher you’re never going to be super-wealthy, of course — but you should be able to also pay your bills," she said. "You shouldn’t have to have two, three jobs. Newer teachers to middle-of-the-road teachers typically have to have two jobs to make ends meet, which is very sad."

Teachers start in EVSC at about $41,500 annually, Young said. She expressed optimism that EVSC's leadership wants to improve that figure. But the plain fact is, teachers with master's degrees can make more money in the private sector. Other teachers leave the business when spouses and partners get good jobs outside of Indiana or teaching environments turn sour.

"People have opportunities, and you have to do what’s right for yourself and for your family. I always hope that they’ll choose to stay in education, but you never know," Young said.

EVSC has deals with non-teacher groups who have negotiated agreements — such as bus aides and drivers and special education paraprofessionals. Negotiations with custodial and maintenance teams and office workers are looming, EVSC officials said Monday.

The school system is down about 60 bus drivers compared to pre-COVID days. There are about 120 EVSC-employed drivers and another 60 or so who drive on a contract basis.

The latter group struck a deal with EVSC Monday night, said Mike Talarzyk, a contract bus driver for about 12 years now.

The contractors won some and lost some in negotiations, Talarzyk said, but they'll be on the job when school starts for students.

Local effects of an ongoing nationwide bus driver shortage will be a tougher nut to crack. A job listing on EVSC's website hints at the depth of the problem, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"Bus Driver for 2023-2024 School Year (Multiple Vacancies)," it declares. The salary range: $17.68 to $24.45 per hour.

"Bus drivers work part time hours with full time benefits!" the posting states.

EVSC has employed a variety of tactics to try to pick up more students with fewer drivers — routing technology and analysis, the recent purchase of a hybrid bus that can transport general education and wheelchair-bound students.

Some families register for bus transportation and then find out they don't need it after all, said EVSC spokesman Jason Woebkenberg. Students get cars of their own. It all helps in the margins.

"Last year we started with a wait list — and within the first few weeks of the year, we had greatly reduced that wait list almost to very little," Woebkenberg said.

EVSC will continue to trumpet its bus driver openings at every opportunity, Woebkenberg said. With the opening of schools looming, qualified applicants do have some leverage.

“We can make the position as flexible as they’re interested in," Woebkenberg said.

"We do what school districts around the state and the country have figured out you have to do now – we’re constantly promoting. We’re constantly being aggressive in trying to find the best employees in the area. We want them working for us, whether you’re driving a bus or teaching in a classroom."

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: What jobs are open in the EVSC?