Students are heading back to school Monday in Pasco County, but district officials are still trying to fill teaching positions for this year.
- Pasco County has already filled 300 teaching jobs this school year
- There are still 160 more openings
- District says they'll continue to boost their recruitment efforts
This will be Kelly Nunno's first time teaching. “I worked really hard with getting all the books ready for the kids this year, the whole entire summer I was buying books from other teachers that have retired,” said Nunno as she showed off her library.
Nunno was a former intern at the district and was hired over the summer to teach 2nd grade at Odessa Elementary.
She's one of the hundreds who will begin teaching for the first time in Pasco County this fall, thanks to heavy recruiting efforts by the district.
“Whether it be looking at people who have retired from Pasco or retired teachers who are currently substituting, seeing if they would like to come into the classroom, reaching out to universities, we did a lot of in state and out of state recruitment trips,” said the district's Human Capital Partner, Lori Perreault. It was a big effort, as the district had 300 jobs to fill.
So far the district has filled 87 percent of its opening since February, but it still needs about 160 more teachers.
"I know that sounds like a lot of jobs but when you're thinking of years past -- last year we had over 400 jobs open on the first day of school -- we have worked really hard to be strategic,” said Perreault.
The district now has a team dedicated to keeping the vacancies down and hopes high.
“It’s kind of like one of those moments you’ve been waiting for your whole life. Growing up I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Having that first set of kids ever walk into my classroom, I can’t wait," said Nunno.
With a few final touches, Nunno hopes her students will feel that same excitement.
Both Pasco and Polk start school Monday.