Pandemic-Driven Challenges Still Plaguing School Districts in Montgomery County

Local school districts are still grappling with staff challenges that were exacerbated drastically by the COVID-19 pandemic, writes Evan Brandt for the Daily Local News.

In the last two years, prompted by job-related stress and burnout, many teachers have decided to leave the profession or retire much sooner than they were planning.

This is putting local school districts in a precarious position where the supply of new teachers – already feeble before the pandemic – has hit new lows, making filling open positions nearly impossible.

And It is not just the teachers leaving. There was also an exodus of top-level administrators. A number of school districts had to hire new superintendents in 2021-22, including Pottsgrove and Spring-Ford.

Pottsgrove also lost longtime high school Principal William Ziegler and Assistant Principal Eric Daney.

To make matters even harder, many employees who were idled when the schools switched to remote learning, such as drivers and food workers, have since found new jobs and their positions still remain open.

“We’re still not fully staffed,” said Matthew Boyer, director of human resources for the Pottstown School District. “It’s not just teachers, it’s nurses, custodians, and paraprofessionals.”

Read more about the Staff Challenges in light of the pandemic in the Daily Local News.