CCSD has 1,127 classroom teacher vacancies as new school year looms

The Clark County School District has 1,127 classroom teacher vacancies with less than two weeks until a new school year begins.

More than 294,000 students are expected to return to classes Aug. 7 in the nation’s fifth-largest district.

Approximately 94 percent of classrooms currently have a licensed teacher — up from 92 percent at this time last year.

Teacher recruitment happens year-round and the district is also looking for long-term substitutes, Director of Recruitment Brian Redmond said Tuesday during a district back-to-school preview event for reporters at Bell Elementary School in Las Vegas.

“Our goal is to have an adult in every classroom no matter what,” he said.

Teacher incentives offered

District officials provided updates on topics like school safety, teacher recruitment, school meals, busing and health services.

As for recruiting, the district has seen a net gain of 450 classroom teachers, Redmond said.

When there are teacher vacancies, schools handle that in ways such as using substitute teachers, combining classes or asking teachers to sell their preparation periods in order to teach more classes.

The district has 271 long-term substitute teachers who’ve already committed to filling vacancies for this school year, said Marynet Bernazar, deputy chief of human resources.

The district also hires up to 175 cultural exchange educators from the Philippines each year, who cover hard-to-fill jobs such as special education. They have a J-1 visa for three years, with the possibility of it being extended for one or two years.

The district is expanding its J-1 hiring efforts to teachers from countries in Africa, but it’s unknown yet when they’ll arrive. And officials are also looking into hiring from Latin America.

The schools with the largest number of teacher vacancies are typically in North Las Vegas, as well as east Las Vegas, Redmond said.

The highest vacancy rates for high schools are 20 to 25 percent, he said. A high rate for elementary schools, he added, is considered five to 10 vacancies.

District human resources officials meet weekly with principals at high vacancy schools, Redmond said, and invite principals to recruiting events to “give them a chance to sell their schools as well.”

Some individual schools are offering $1,000 or $2,000 incentives for teachers, he said.

As for support staff, there are 393 vacancies, Redmond said, noting numbers are lower than last year. He cited recent pay raises for employees such as school bus drivers and campus security monitors.

The most challenging support staff jobs to fill are special education teacher assistants, he said.

The district is amid contract negotiations with its five employee unions. Bargaining has been contentious between the district and Clark County Education Association teachers union, which protested last week outside “Java with Jara” community events led by Superintendent Jesus Jara.

The district announced Monday it would postpone the remaining Java with Jara events until after negotiations conclude.

Here are four other updates about the upcoming school year:

No metal detectors

No metal detectors will be installed at schools for the upcoming school year, Clark County School District Police Lt. Bryan Zink said. The topic was mentioned during a May school safety press conference.

A weapons screening program is under review and undergoing field testing throughout the summer, he said.

Four weapon detection dogs will increase the number of “random sniffs” at high schools this school year, with each visiting two schools daily instead of one, Zink said.The number of random screenings using handheld metal detectors at middle and high schools will also increase.

Police will increase patrols during the first two weeks of school — something that happens every year.

Two officers will be assigned to every high school and there will be officers patrolling each region who can respond to nearby elementary, middle and high schools.

Free school meals

The district will again offer free school meals for all students.

The district has a high percentage of students living in poverty — with about 75 percent qualifying for free- or reduced-price school meals — so it qualifies for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision.

Parents don’t have to fill out paperwork.

The district is also using a new website — menu.ccsd.net — where parents can see menus, including nutritional information.

School bus drivers and electric buses

The district has about 60 school bus driver vacancies, but exact numbers are still up in the air until Friday when drivers receive their assignments, Transportation Director Amber Rideout said.

The number of school bus driver vacancies has declined — it was up to approximately 240 during the COVID-19 pandemic — after a pay increase and retention bonuses.

The district has about five electric school buses and additional ones on order. They’ll be used on routes served by the Arville bus yard in Las Vegas, which has charging stations.

Parents can use the OnBoard mobile app to track their child’s bus. For more information about busing, visit transportation.ccsd.net.

No more COVID-19 phone hotlines

The district’s COVID-19 phone hotlines for students and employees are no longer up-and-running. District testing centers are also closed.

Now, parents should report their child’s absence to their school just like other illnesses, and lab results aren’t required, Chief Nurse Sheri McPartlin said.

Another change this year: All elementary, middle and high schools will have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) — an expansion funded using federal money. Previously, devices were only at high schools.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.