'Unusual number of resignations:' Asheville schools seek new ways to recruit, keep staff
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville City Schools continues to deal with a growing number of vacancies and resignations. School leaders said they are having trouble getting applicants for open positions.
“This year, because of the unusual number of resignations during the school year and the difficulty of filling these vacancies, schools have struggled, and principals have had to ask staff to cover,” Dr. Mark Dickerson, Assistant Superintendent of HR, told the board of education Monday night.
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As of Friday, Dr. Dickerson said Asheville City Schools had seen 72 resignations since July 2021. For comparison, 128 staff members resigned during the 2019-2020 school year, and 129 left during the 2020-2021 school year.
“We’ve been having instructional assistants serve as classroom teachers. We’ve had some administrators serve at two different schools,” he said.
According to Dr. Dickerson, Asheville City Schools currently has 58 vacancies. Many have been posted for months, with no applicants.
“We have posted positions. We’re just not getting candidates,” he said.
The Asheville City Board of Education has approved bonuses to help with retention and recruitment, but now school leaders are looking at a new strategy.
“This is going to provide all of our employees with equitable access to housing,” said Dr. Kimberly Dechant, Director of Recruitment and Induction for Asheville City Schools.
Asheville City Schools is the first school system in North Carolina to partner with Landed, a personal finance company, working to help education employees come up with 20% down payments for homeownership.
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“We know that housing costs in Asheville are rising. We know it’s hard for first-time homeowners or any homeowner to enter the housing market,” Dr. Dechant said.
The program is now available to all Asheville City Schools employees who work at least 20 hours a week. School leaders hope it will help with recruitment and retention efforts.
Asheville City Schools is hosting a career fair on March 25 and 26. Visit IT IS TIME TO JOIN THE ACS FAMILY: 2022 Asheville City Schools Career Fair Registration for more information.
