Eastern Henrico schools account for nearly 60% of county’s remaining teaching vacancies

Less than a month from the start of the new school year, Henrico County Public Schools officials still were seeking candidates to fill more than 380 vacant in-school positions – nearly half of them at 21 Eastern Henrico elementary, middle and high schools.

Of the 214.6 full-time classroom teacher positions still open as of Aug. 4, 125 of them – or 58% – were at Eastern Henrico schools.

By contrast, a total of 30 West End schools accounted for less than 30% of the 381.1 total vacancies (a figure that that included more than 300 open positions on the instructional side), according to data shared with the Citizen by school system officials.

The greatest needs on that date at each level were at Eastern Henrico schools:

• Rolfe Middle School had 30.4 vacancies, including 22.4 teachers (six English, five exceptional education, four health and PE, four math, two science, one Spanish and 0.4 chorus);
• Varina High School had 30 vacancies, including 22 teachers (seven exceptional education, six math, four English, three biology, one Spanish and one ROTC);
• the Achievable Dream Academy at Highland Springs Elementary School had 16 vacancies, including 13 teachers;
• Glen Lea Elementary School had 13 vacancies, including 11 teachers;
• Ratcliffe Elementary School had nine vacancies, including four teachers.

The latter three serve some of the most economically disadvantaged communities in Henrico County.

(Click here to view all job vacancies at Henrico elementary schools.)
(Click here to view all job vacancies at Henrico middle schools.)
(Click here to view all job vacancies at Henrico high schools.)

Only two other schools in the county had more than 10 vacancies to fill:
• Hermitage High School (12, including six teaching positions);
• Quioccasin Middle School (10.5, including 6.5 teaching positions).

Of the 54 open elementary school classroom grade-level teaching jobs, all but six were in Eastern Henrico. Meanwhile, only two such positions were open in the West End – one apiece at Three Chopt Elementary School and Davis Elementary School.

The Henrico Virtual Academy reported 10.5 vacancies, including 4.5 teaching positions. The school system also is working to hire more bus drivers.

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"Like all school systems nationwide, we are realizing the reality of some of the staffing shortages that we’ve all known were headed our way for about a decade now," Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell told the Citizen, citing data that shows fewer students are graduating college with teaching licensures or plans to teach. "The work of recruiting has been more challenging in this recruitment season than ever."

Despite the challenges, school system officials will welcome about 400 teachers who are new to Henrico next week to their new teachers' academy. Some are teaching rookies, while others are experienced teachers, Cashwell said.

"There's a lot of positive energy going into the school year," she said.

The school system has contingency plans in place that would allow it to begin the year even if it's unable to hire anyone to fill the remaining vacancies, Cashwell said, but it's still working feverishly to fill as many of them as possible. Henrico, however, is in competition with other local school divisions that have similar needs. Virginia Mercury reported Tuesday that Richmond and Chesterfield had about 400 teaching vacancies to fill between them.

It's not just teacher positions that are needed. A total of 69 positions countywide for instructional assistants (both for general education and special education) were vacant as of Aug. 4. Fourteen schools still needed a nutrition services assistant manager or manager II.

Twenty-six other in-school positions were vacant countywide, including 13 for psychologists and seven for social workers. Two schools (Echo Lake Elementary and Tucker High) still needed licensed practical nurses. Hungary Creek Middle needed an interpreter.

And 35 support staffing positions (jobs that include office assistant and maintenance assistant roles, among others) also were vacant at a variety of schools countywide.

Henrico officials have found creative ways to attempt to fill open spots, Cashwell said – from using licensed support staff members as substitute teachers to partnering with VCU so that teacher licensure candidates can work in schools as instructional assistants or in similar roles. The school system also lets bus drivers bring their young children with them on routes if child care is a challenge and offers a variety of sign-on bonuses and other safe-driving bonuses for those who qualify. All full-time school system employees will receive a bonus in December, while returning employees will receive one in September.

For several years, Henrico has been guaranteeing future teacher spots to graduating high school seniors as part of its Teacher Scholars program, which offers a $5,000 signing bonus in exchange for a three-year commitment from students who ultimately meet a set of requirements.

To the parents of students in some of the schools that are hardest to staff, Cashwell promised equal resources.

"Whatever the unique circumstances are that are affecting our schools, we’re going to make sure we’re putting the best resources in place," she said.

The starting salary for a teacher in Henrico is about $51,000, and Cashwell is encouraging anyone who may be interested in teaching to contact the system online or by phone at (804) 652-3664 or to attend a job fair (including one planned Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. at Libbie Mill Library).