Cooper announces plan to combat staffing shortages in NC schools

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper has announced a plan to help combat staffing shortages in K-12 school districts across North Carolina.

The plan will allow state employees to use volunteer days, with supervisor approval, to work in public schools as substitute teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria staff.

The announcement comes in the midst of a current surge in COVID-19 cases.

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“It is critical that we keep children learning in the classroom safely,” Cooper said. “This policy will encourage state employees to lend a helping hand to our students at a time of severe staffing challenges for our public schools.”

Officials said for much of the 2021-2022 school year, many districts experienced a greater need for substitute teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and other support personnel who can fill in for employees who need to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19.

This new directive will allow state employees to use paid leave to serve as substitute staff in schools, while also keeping any compensation they would earn.

The State Human Resource Commission’s Community Service Leave Policy states that full-time state employees are eligible for 24 hours of paid community service leave each calendar year. This leave may be used by state employees with supervisor approval and will not interfere with or delay state government operations, according to officials.

“State employees always step up to help our state in challenging times and this policy gives our talented employees yet another way to serve their communities,” State Human Resources Director Barbara Gibson said.

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“We appreciate Governor Cooper’s willingness to move quickly to address the current staffing crisis caused by the omicron variant,” Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras said. “This is one more tool we can use to keep our classrooms and schools open for our students.”

Officials said under the updated policy, state employees are eligible to use community service leave for time spent training to be a substitute teacher, substitute teacher’s assistant or other substitute staff at a school or school district.

State employees are also eligible to use community service leave for other volunteer activities, regardless of compensation.

The plan is expected to go into effect from Jan. 12 until Feb. 15.

(WATCH BELOW: Shortages hit CMS as more than 1,000 teachers missed class last week)