Short Staffed

Short Staffed

Acute staffing shortage forces FWCS to consider options to alleviate pressure

By Fredrick McKissack
Ink Spot Managing Editor

In the last months of the 2020 school year, students, teachers, staff, and administrators were home because the pandemic closed buildings. In the coming weeks and months, don't be surprised if Fort Wayne Community Schools' buildings are closed at least one day a week – this time due to an acute staffing shortage.

Deemed a "rolling blackout" option in a recent Facebook Live update from Superintendent Mark Daniel, the state's largest school district sees this as a last resort move that is facing desperate shortages in food service, substitute teachers, and bus drivers.

"We want students in school as much as possible," wrote Krista Stockman, the district's public information officer, in an email request for information. She outlined the "rolling blackout" option as a possible remote learning model, where one high school and its feeder schools would close for a day.

"That would allow staff members, particularly bus drivers, nutrition services, substitute teachers and classroom assistants, to go to other buildings (routes in the case of bus drivers) to help out," she wrote.

Meanwhile, the 30,000 student district has a 1:1 ratio of students to computers. For those without broadband options, there are mobile hotspots available to families that qualify. Also, every student in the district is eligible for the Federal Communication Commission's Emergency Broadband Benefit Program that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households. Find more information at getemergencybroadband.org

While creative, this model is untenable as a long-term option.

"We need to hire people, and we are offering a lot of flexibility with hours and days worked," Stockman wrote. "We also have some pretty hefty signing and retention bonuses for bus drivers, not to mention it comes with full benefits."

FWCS' job listings site states:

"New Bus Drivers hired for the 2021-2022 school year are eligible to receive a $2,000 signing bonus. Bonuses will be paid out in four equal installments over the course of the first year of the driver’s service to the district, with the first installment included with the first paycheck.

"All FWCS Bus Drivers are eligible to receive retention bonuses up to $2,000 based on satisfactory attendance, performance, and safety. $1,000 referral bonuses are available for FWCS employees who successfully recruit new Bus Drivers to work at FWCS."

Staffing shortages are now a national crisis for school districts. On Tuesday, Education Week released a survey that found that more than 75 percent of respondents say they're having trouble finding substitute teachers; 68 percent are short of bus drivers; and more than half cannot fill positions for paraprofessionals and instructional aids.

"Districts plagued by staffing shortages are taking a wide variety of approaches to addressing the issues," Education Week reported. "(15 percent) are offering recruitment bonuses; 22 percent are turning to contractors; 18 percent are hosting job fairs; 17 percent are asking volunteers to fill the gaps."

Although locked out due to COVID restrictions, volunteers are welcome back to FWCS, Stockman wrote.

"If a parent can come in and help with lunch or playground duty once a week, that would help," she wrote. "Every little bit that someone can do eases the burden for others and makes it less likely that we’ll have to turn to remote learning."