CLAY COUNTY – The Clay County School District is already preparing for the next year in a crucial task, placing teachers and support personnel in schools.

The 2022-2023 school year is four months away. Superintendent David Broskie said he thinks the district is doing well with only nine teacher vacancies to fill, considering a lack of labor throughout the state and country.

“Luckily, Clay County is doing better than most,” Broskie said. “Our retention rate is higher than most.”

To keep pace, the district will host a job fair at Fleming Island High from 5-7:30 p.m. on May 3.

He said teaching is more complex than most people think. First-year teachers need administration-level support and district-level support to foster an environment where achievement is the primary goal.

Broskie referred to a meeting last week, where the district held an informational session for people with a degree interested in teaching. He said the district is seeing more non-education majors hired.

“The meeting was about, ‘Show me how to complete the paperwork so I can see what I have to do to be a teacher,’” he said. “Our outreach has to be greater. The recruitment and retention of employees are critical as an organization because it is a people-based organization.”

But the push doesn’t end with adults. The Career and Technical Education department also will hold a Career Fair for graduating seniors and local businesses at 8 a.m. on May 4 at the Clay County Fairgrounds.

At a previous board meeting, officials discussed plans to get students interested in teaching to substitute in the county. Though the discussion and the CTE fair are unrelated, Broskie said the goal when students graduate is to prepare them with skills for college, the military or a career right out of high school.

Broskie recalled local employers stressing the need for employees.

“We’re trying to pair them up with students and make that match,” Broskie said.

More information is available at oneclay.net.