Orange County lacks hundreds of teachers as students return to school next week

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some Orange County educators said they are frustrated at the district’s plan to address its teacher shortage.

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On Tuesday, the superintendent said they were down 450 teachers.

But Thursday, Channel 9 learned that number now sits just over 380.

The district says it’s turning to other workers to fill those roles.

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Overworked teachers tell us the extra workload takes a toll.

“Over time, you don’t get wage growth for being in the position so those who have expertise aren’t really getting paid much more than people who are new to the profession,” said teacher Brian Antoine. “You get demoralized. You say, ‘Well, why am I continuing to do this? Maybe I should do something different.’”

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The district said it is still actively recruiting, and the expectation is that they will have a teacher in every classroom for the start of school next week.

“We’re working hard to make sure that we have the best possible start to the school yearn” said Shari Bobinski with Orange County Public Schools. “We’re confident that we’ll be able to fill those vacancies and have a successful year.”

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In addition to the teacher shortage, Orange County Public Schools is also facing a shortage of bus drivers.

Officials are changing up bus routes this school year to help deal with the shortage.

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