Schools across Vermont are facing major shortages, and as the summer is slowly coming to an end, the Vermont Principals Association says there are about 1,000 open jobs.

The first day of school is about a month away, but South Burlington High School Principal Patrick Burke is still busy hiring staff members. “I think the most pronounced difference with this year and years prior has been the number of applications that we have received for open positions,” said Burke.

Burke says it has been a struggle to fill certain jobs. “Bus drivers, nutritional services, educational support staff, those positions have been harder to fill than in prior years to the point where we have had to make some adjustments to start and end times of the day.”

South Burlington High School is not alone, as it is a nationwide problem. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 567,000 fewer educators in America’s public schools today than before the pandemic.

Vermont has about 1,000 positions it needs to fill.

“I think one of the unknowns for all of us right now is this a point in time issue or is this something that is going to be a longer-term issue,” said Peter Burrows, President of the Vermont Superintendents Association. Burrows also leads the Addison Central School District and says superintendents are looking into different ways to recruit people.

“I know some districts are working on the marketing side to get the word out, some districts are changing their pay structure for certain positions that are hard to fill to increase the number of applicants,” said Burrows.

Meanwhile, Burke says these jobs are rewarding in many ways. “It remains an excellent career path for folks who would like to make a difference in the future of their community.”

To see which school jobs are available, click here.