While driving in communities in our region you will see “help wanted” or “we’re hiring” printed on signs on the doors of businesses or on banners draped across buildings. You may have also had the experience of arriving at your favorite eatery or coffee shop only to find it closed due to a lack of staff. Since the pandemic it seems like these experiences are more of the norm than the exception.

However, unlike a private business, we cannot post a sign on our school doors that says, “closed.” Not only do families depend on our schools to provide high-quality daily instruction, they rely on us to provide nutritional meals and a safe place for their children to be while they work.

Like these local businesses, RSU 5 is experiencing staffing challenges. Due to a bus driver shortage, routes have collapsed, which has resulted in longer hours for drivers and required other employees not assigned driving duties to cover routes. Teachers, educational technicians and administrators are driving vans to fill in gaps. Secretarial staff and nutrition workers are performing custodial duties after completing a long day of work fulfilling their own work responsibilities. Building principals are covering for educational technicians to ensure student needs are met.

Our schools cannot do it alone. We need your help. Currently we have an immediate need to fill custodian, bus driver, van driver and educational technician positions. If you are seeking full- or part-time employment, RSU 5 is a wonderful place to work. We welcome applicants who are available to work a few hours a week or day. If not, you can help by spreading the word to family members and friends about these opportunities. For more information regarding employment with RSU 5, please contact Ashley Rand, human resource coordinator at arand@rsu5.org or visit our website at rsu5.org.