Henrico schools are 97% staffed, but 110 teacher vacancies remain

Despite more than 100 teacher vacancies, Henrico Schools will have all classrooms covered by a substitute or licensed teacher on the first day of school (Aug. 21), HCPS officials said at an Aug. 10 Henrico School Board meeting.

Henrico Schools Superintendent Dr. Amy Cashwell and HCPS staff members announced that the school system is 97% staffed, with those remaining vacancies the only ones from among 4,110 instructional staff positions, which include school teachers, librarians, and counselors. The school system also has 54 vacant school security officer positions and 65 vacant bus driver positions, down from the previous number of 122 in Sept. 2021, officials said at the meeting.

HCPS has reduced vacancies to 110 instructional staff positions, 50 SSO positions, and 60 bus driver positions as of Aug. 16.

While every Henrico classroom will have a “qualified adult” – either a full-time licensed teacher, a long-term board substitute, a formerly retired employee, or a daily substitute – by the first day of school, Henrico Schools will still be working to recruit full-time, licensed teachers who can permanently fill those positions, Cashwell said.

“First and foremost, I want to let you know that every classroom across the district will be covered beginning on the first day of school,” she told the school board. “Although all classes are covered on day one, we continue to recruit teachers and staff through avenues such as our job fairs, college and university visits, and the support of career-switchers and instructional aides who may be seeking a teaching license.”

Members of the school board commended HCPS officials for being able to fill 97% of positions with full-time, licensed staff.

“I mean, that’s extraordinary, given the vacancies that we had before,” School Board Chair Kristi Kinsella of the Brookland District said.

“I’ve seen aggressive recruitment efforts for teachers, bus drivers, security staff, and all positions,” School Board member Roscoe Cooper of the Fairfield District said. “And I can say you all have been everywhere at every event heavily recruiting.”

While there are vacant teacher positions throughout the county, there are higher concentrations of vacancies in certain areas, HCPS officials said. More than half of the remaining teacher vacancies affect just four Eastern Henrico schools: Varina High (20.4 vacancies), Highland Springs Elementary (18 vacancies), Fair Oaks Elementary (13 vacancies), and John Rolfe Middle School (11 vacancies).

Since HCPS still has a number of school security officer vacancies, school administrators will step in to operate the new weapons detection scanners being placed in all high schools by the first day of school. Administrators at all levels received training on the scanners on Aug. 9.

HCPS has spent $3.2 million on the scanners and applied for the Stronger Connections Grant to receive up to $350,000 from the Virginia Department of Education to go towards purchasing more scanners. Henrico Schools also aims to place scanners in all middle and elementary schools sometime during this school year.

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System still seeking 60 bus drivers

HCPS officials said they were also able to reduce the number of new bus drivers needed from 122 to 60 drivers, as well as reduce the number of buses scheduled to arrive after the first bell rings, by reviewing nearly 1,700 bus routes and condensing these routes based on rider information. HCPS Director of Pupil Transportation Jim Ellis said at the meeting that 70% of bus driver positions are filled for the year, although HCPS officials said that number is currently about 86%.

“We worked to condense a lot of the routes based on our student rider information,” he said. “So we are very tight, there’s little room for error, but we’ve got that number down.”

Henrico Schools purchased 80 new school buses and will receive 30 more school buses between January and March . HCPS will continue to recruit new drivers as well as provide annual training to new and returning drivers, according to Ellis.

The school board updated the HCPS Student Code of Conduct this summer to require all elementary school riders to wear a seatbelt on the bus and to clarify consequences for riders who misbehave or cause distractions.

The school board also emphasized the issue of absenteeism in Henrico, and board members praised HCPS’ efforts to engage more directly with families this past summer by conducting home visits.

“Absenteeism is such a big problem that we’re trying to tackle and going directly to these families and explaining to them how important it is that they get their kids to school every day, what can we assist you with to make that happen – I think this is an essential part of what we’re doing,” said Three Chopt District School Board member Micky Ogburn.

Summer engagement teams, which included school social workers, counselors, psychologists and sometimes other HCPS employees, made the home visits, making sure to notify the families beforehand. The HCPS Family Engagement team made visits and held events at 16 apartment communities and three hotels to foster more than 750 connections and link families to basic need resources, school readiness kits, and literacy materials.

HCPS also identified 83 students eligible to receive benefits from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The federal law awards funding to local education agencies to assist homeless students and ensure they are enrolled in school and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed.

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Board members emphasize free and reduced meals, other services

School board members emphasized the importance of other school services, such as free and reduced-price meals and vaccination clinics within schools.

All students attending the 43 Henrico schools designated under the Community Eligibility Provisions can receive free meals; new schools added to the CEP program include J.R. Tucker High, Carver Elementary, and Greenwood Elementary. After receiving one free meal, students in CEP schools will have to purchase a second meal if they wish to receive two meals that day.

HCPS also will not be raising meal prices for the school year. Students in non-CEP schools still can receive free or reduced-price meals but are required to complete an application.

HCPS also held four free walk-in vaccination clinics for middle school and high school students before the school year. Vaccination efforts during the past spring and summer resulted in 900 rising 7th through 12th graders receiving their required vaccinations, according to HCPS officials.

However, school board members still expressed concern that some families would not be able to receive the required vaccines in time. Students who are unvaccinated and have not received a vaccine waiver cannot attend school until they are vaccinated.

“I know last year, I had a few constituents reach out because their children weren’t vaccinated and they were having a hard time getting appointments at the pediatrician,” Cooper said.

HCPS officials said that they plan to implement vaccination clinics in some targeted schools and areas by the first or second week of school. School nurses, principals, teachers, and counselors also will be notified if certain students have not been vaccinated yet so they can directly contact their families.

All school buildings also will be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which can be used in the case that someone is undergoing cardiac arrest.

School Board members and Cashwell thanked HCPS administration and staff for their efforts to prepare for the upcoming school year, including multiple professional development initiatives, summer school programs, engagement initiatives, and facilities maintenance work.

“They have worked tirelessly to ensure that our students have a safe, nurturing, and productive learning environment for this upcoming school year,” Cashwell said.

“The hard work, preparation and planning that goes into ensuring that students and staff are ready for day one is challenging and taxing, yet time and time again, you all rise to the occasion and deliver,” Cooper said.

The Henrico School Board will meet next on Aug. 24 for a 1 p.m. work session and a 6:30 p.m. monthly meeting at the New Bridge Learning Center Auditorium.

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Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.