Knox County Schools set to start year strong with far fewer vacancies than last year

As a new school year approaches , Knox County Schools has far fewer vacancies to fill compared to the start of the last school year.

The district is looking to hire about 280 staff members compared to almost 500 vacancies it faced this time last year. The open position listings update daily as offers flow through the pipeline.

Administrators still need to hire dozens of state-licensed teachers, but that's down from a gap of 160 at this time last year. The school with the highest number of vacancies is Fulton High School with six open teaching positions and 18 total open positions including coaches, special education assistants, ROTC instructors and teachers.

Among licensed positions, the district is most in need of special education teachers across all grades.

Dive deeper: Knox County Schools streamlined its hiring process, and it's paying off for students

Here are some of the highest needs:

• The district needs 44 part-time elementary school literacy tutors. These tutors provide a small group of students support to help close literacy gaps. The tutors will work at most 25 hours a week.
• Among licensed teachers, special education teachers are in demand.

The district's new salary schedule with increased pay for all employees and a concentrated effort to improve recruiting helped Knox County Schools start off on stronger footing.

This year, teachers got an average raise of 10%, and principals and assistant principals an average 3% raise. The district invested $39 million to bring its employees on par with their peers in other counties after a study showed Knox County Schools employees made nearly 9% less than the market minimum.

Which Knox County Schools have the most vacancies?

Across all positions, Fulton High School has the highest number of vacancies with 18, followed by Hardin Valley Academy with 14 and Farragut High School with 13. Bearden High School and Austin-East Magnet both follow next with 12 open positions each.

Among middle schools, Hardin Valley Middle School has the highest number of vacancies with five open positions, followed by four openings at West Valley Middle School.

Green Magnet Academy has the highest number of vacancies of all elementary schools with eight open positions, followed by six and five open positions each at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy and A.L Lotts elementary schools.

How can I apply for a Knox County Schools job?

Open positions at Knox County Schools, including job description and salaries, are online at knoxschools.munisselfservice.com .

If a candidate without an education degree is interested in teaching, the district runs an Educator Preparation Program to help them become teachers.

If you're interested in working for the district but unsure where to start, the district has a general interest form you can fill which it will use to help you get connected with the right fit. The form can be found online at knoxschools.wufoo.com/forms/teach-knox/ .

Areena Arora , data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com . Follow her on X @ AreenaArora and on Instagram @areena_news

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County Schools set to start year strong with far fewer vacancies than last year