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Job Applicant Pool Deluges School District

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - The downturn in the economy is proving to be a boon for the human resources department at the Pasco County School District.

The district is handling a deluge of job applications for teachers, custodians, clerical workers and other positions.

Many of those applications would come in regardless of the economy, but the tight job market is definitely having an impact on the size of the applicant pool, said Renee Sedlack, the district's director of human resources.

"It means we are busy, and busy is a good thing," Sedlack said. "The more applicants we have, the better selections we can make."

One example of the flood of job hopefuls: Since early February, the district has received about 1,200 teaching applications. Sedlack said Pasco expects to hire about 300 to 400 new teachers between now and the start of school in August.

Many of those applicants are people who already hold teaching certification or are recent college graduates planning an education career. But some are second-career teachers who turned to education after working in another field.

Sedlack said the reason the job applicants are eyeing the school district for instructional and other positions is simple: "We're one of the few employers in the area still hiring."

The school district employs about 10,000 people.

Even with the glut of applications, the district still plans to hold its teacher job fair this month, at which administrators will try to recruit top-notch candidates, Sedlack said.

"We like to give our out-of-state applicants a chance to interview," she said.

About 700 people have registered for the job fair; typically about half show up.
Sedlack said another sign of the tough economic times is that the educational level of substitute teachers is on the rise. About 60 percent to 65 percent of substitutes now have at least a bachelor's degree, even though a high school diploma is all that's required.

Real estate agents, mortgage brokers and property appraisers are among those who have turned to substitute teaching, she said.

A new crop of substitutes is taking training this week.

Chris Christoff, principal at Crews Lake Middle, a campus opening in August, told the school board at a June 3 workshop that finding sufficient applicants to fill his staff hasn't been difficult.

"We had over 400 phone calls the first week of ads," Christoff said. "There are quality people out there."

Crews Lake, which is in Shady Hills, also received a lot of inquiries from Hernando County after the superintendent in that school district announced a reorganization plan, Christoff said.

Unlike many Florida school districts, Pasco's is growing and is projected to add about 1,300 students in 2008-09. In addition to Crews Lake Middle, the district also is opening Veterans Elementary, in Wesley Chapel.

Even though it still is hiring, the school district isn't immune from the budgetary squeeze. Superintendent Heather Fiorentino and school board members have been discussing how to deal with an anticipated $16 million budget shortfall for 2008-09.

School boards, county and city commissions, and other governmental bodies throughout the state are facing similar constraints.

One of Fiorentino's suggestions for the Pasco district is to place a hiring freeze on some positions.

United School Employees of Pasco is concerned the board could withhold the employees' step increases, which are pay raises based on education and years of service.

Union President Lynne Webb told the school board this month that employees understand times are tough, but she said this is the wrong time to "step back and not do what is right for our employees."

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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