Valley school districts grapple with staff, substitute shortages

Rio Grande Valley educators have faced their fair share of challenges over the past two years, but this semester local school districts find themselves facing yet another novel pandemic problem: personnel shortages. While staffing shortages have popped up periodically throughout the pandemic, Valley schools — and many others across the state — are facing their first COVID-19 surge while most of their students and staff are on campus. Although some Valley school districts have elected to extend their winter break for health reasons, none so far have extended their breaks or closed due to staff shortages. They’re coping, local educational leaders say, even if it isn’t always easy.

Region One interim Executive Director Judith Solis says the chief problem locally is a shortage of substitute teachers, and doubts any local district has been immune to that shortage. “I know some tell me that they’re doing very well, that they’re making it work, because they have enough employees,” she said. “But I think it’s an issue that they’re all facing.” Region One’s services include connecting substitute teachers with school districts. Many of those substitutes, Solis said, are frightened — many of them don’t want to be exposed to the virus. “You know, we have a good pool of teacher substitutes, but they go to the schools that they know and they don’t want to go to a different school. People are scared, I think. They’re scared,” she said.