Teton Valley School District faces hiring classified staff challenges ahead of school year

DRIGGS, Idaho (KIFI) – With summer in full swing, school might be the last thing on the minds of parents and students. However, local school districts are already looking ahead to August, facing a tough hiring market as they do so.

The Teton Valley School District is currently preparing for the upcoming school year by recruiting teachers, bus drivers, custodians, and other vital support staff. But in this region, filling those roles is easier said than done.

Teton Valley School District's Superintendent Brian Ashton says hiring s has become increasingly difficult, particularly for classified staff (bus drivers, custodial staff, etc.), because of funding limitations, the region's high cost of housing and competition from higher-paying jobs in nearby Jackson Hole.

"It comes down to one simple thing: the state does not fund what it takes to actually run a school district," Ashton said. "It funds a good portion of our teachers, but much less [for support staff]. I think only about 30% of our classified staff is paid for through the state."

To bridge the gap, many current employees are pulling double duty.

"We have some custodians that also drive bus. We have paraprofessionals that also drive bus, and do both," Ashton said, "So it is a challenge."

As housing becomes increasingly unaffordable in Teton Valley, Ashton says nearly 10-15% of the district's employees now commute from Rexburg or Idaho Falls.

The district also competes with employers in Jackson Hole, just an hour away, where the tourism-driven economy often offers higher wages.

"The wages are not as high as we would like them to be. And relative to the economy here, the hourly wage is pretty high because we are so close to Jackson in a tourist economy. So even though it's significantly better, than in some of the other counties, it's still lower than what they can do if they work hourly somewhere else," Ashton said.

While recruiting teachers can also be challenging in a rural district, Ashton said alternative certification programs have helped fill classroom vacancies by allowing professionals from other career fields to become licensed teachers.

"We definitely have teachers who enter the profession through alternative certification," Ashton said. "Without it, we would be in a bad spot."

Ashton says that the ability to maintain staffing levels is dependent on voter support for this November's supplemental levy.

"We will need their support in November to make sure that the supplemental levy goes through so that we can continue the level of service that we've been able to offer," Ashton said.

Those interested in applying for a position at Teton Valley School District can apply HERE.