Associate Superintendent Sean Dotson gave an update of the hiring situation in the Cheney School District at the Oct. 28 board meeting.
Dotson said certified staff went up from 301 to 327 full-time equivalent employees, which has been factored into the budget. He said there were 21 staff members who resigned, retired or moved into different positions last year.
“It was impressive, we brought in some great people,” Dotson said.
Dotson said there are still two open positions. One is for a world language teacher at Windsor Elementary School and the other is a physical therapist for the district.
A reason the physical therapist might be open is because of pay. Director Rick Mount asked if a physical therapist would earn more money working at a clinic than the school district. Business manager Kassidy Probert said physical therapist may earn more money working at a clinic, but some choose to work for school districts for different reasons.
“Sometimes it’s because of the environment, or the school-year cycle,” Probert said. “Some like to work with kids.”
Dotson said the district has a state-funded grant program that pairs new staff members with a mentor. The mentors meet with new staff members on a regular basis and observe classrooms.
“New teachers get a lot of training in their first year in curriculum and classroom management,” Dotson said.
In regards to the substitute teacher situation, Dotson said the shortage of subs is growing though Cheney’s fill rate is 92-100 percent, which is higher compared to other districts.
He said there are currently 79 certified substitutes teachers working for the district, with 62 actively subbing. Thirty-two of those substitutes work for multiple school districts.
“We have about 25-40 working per day, this includes longtime substitutes filling in for pending positions, sick leave, assessment and professional development,” Dotson said.
In regards to classified staff, Dotson said there are 72 working for the district with 62 that are active.
“In reality, there are some of these substitutes working for other districts,” Dotson said, “Some work part-time in Cheney and there are some who are retired teachers who have a limited number of days they can work. We are aggressively recruiting.”
In old business, the board approved second readings on policies relating to board member compensation and co-curricular activities.
The board also had the first reading of a revised policy on lease of district property. According to the policy, the district has the power to call for bids to rent or lease any surplus real property.
The policy also states that any agreement entered into will include provisions for the recapture of the property should the district need it for school purposes in the future. Proceeds from the rental or lease of the property, which exceed the operational costs incurred, will be deposited in the capital projects or debt service funds.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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