Douglas County School District grapples with sta shortages

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County School District is starting the school year down hundreds of sta , from teachers to bus drivers, because of a lack of competitive pay.

Compared to surrounding districts of similar size, Douglas County o ers some of the lowest salaries and hourly wages for teachers, education assistants and bus drivers, though not for a lack of appreciation.

School districts received an 8% funding increase from the state for the 2023-24 school year, but Douglas County lags behind in o ering competitive salaries and wages because of di erences in locally provided funding, Superintendent Erin Kane said.

“Over time, as our neighbors have passed mill levy override after mill levy override, their funding per student continues to increase,” Kane said.

Douglas County receives $1,167 per student through mill levy overrides, which is less than Denver Public Schools ($3,308 per student), Littleton Public Schools ($3,240 per student), Cherry Creek School District ($3,239 per student) and Je erCo School District ($1,910 per student).

is year, by drawing down district reserves, Douglas County was able to raise starting teacher salaries from $43,680 to $45,209. However, other districts also raised their starting salaries.

Cherry Creek School District starts teachers at $57,000; Denver Public Schools starts at $54,141; Je Co School District o ers $50,000; and Littleton Public Schools’ teachers start at $51,274.

One Legend High School teacher left the district on the rst day of school for a job in Cherry Creek, his colleague told the school board at the Aug. 8 meeting.

Several district sta voiced concern about the impacts of the sta shortages that night. Julie Crawford, a principal at Eldorado Elementary, said hiring over the summer was a struggle for schools.

“ e decrease in the applicant pool and the scarcity of qualied candidates have been deeply concerning,” she said. “Simply put, it is not that we have unquali ed applicants, it’s that we have zero applicants.”

Douglas County has 52 teacher openings currently, which is similar to the number of openings last year, 59, but has had fewer applicants for the openings compared to last year, Kane said. Kane added that more candidates are declining job o ers than last year.

Other positions have seen a more signi cant increase in openings. Last year, the district started with 75 open bus driver positions and 98 open education assistant roles. is year, the district is short 104 bus drivers and 155 education assistants.

Kane said the shortages mean the district has had to rely more on substitute teachers, contracting with third-parties for transportation for special education students and instituting rolling cancellations of bus routes.

“It means an increased work load for our employees because when you’re down a teacher, all the other teachers are trying to pick up the slack left behind,” she said.

In an e ort to address hiring and sta retention, the school board approved ballot language for a $66 million mill levy override at the Aug. 8 meeting. e money would go to increasing pay and bene ts, as well as adding security sta .

If you’re an older adult, you won’t want to miss an upcoming opportunity to explore the latest trends in living and aging well. Tickets are on sale now for the Douglas County Seniors’ Council Vintage and Vibrant event from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events (PACE) Center

Registration is available online through Sept. 15 by visiting douglas.co.us and searching for Vintage & Vibrant

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas, participate in-person or remotely, or watch select meetings, visit douglas.co.us and search for Business Meetings.

Older Adults: Tell us what you need

If you are approaching retirement age, living in retirement or know and care about an aging adult in Douglas County, we want to hear from you. Join your Board of Douglas County Commissioners at several listening sessions in July and August to help inform services and policies for older adults in Douglas County. For dates, times and locations, visit douglas.co.us and search “Older Adult Initiative”