Santa Barbara schools hiring staff to fill the classroom this fall

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Santa Barbara schools from kindergarten though college are hiring. More staffers are needed to help students learn.

"This year more than ever, because of the increased need for social distancing, we've had to hire more teachers. In addition to that we've had to hire more substitute teachers," Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent Hilda Maldonado said.

SBUSD spent more money on technology last year than expected because of distance learning.

The cost of living can make it tough to find the best teachers. But federal and state pandemic relief has helped, Maldonado said.

"It's hard to attract people to the city and we want to hire the best teachers. And to do that we need to pay well. So we've increased our salaries a bit," Maldonado said.

The pandemic has also created a hiring need at Santa Barbara City College where they need to replenish their adjunct professor pool.

"It's always a lot of attrition for adjuncts," SBCC Acting Executive Director of Communication Victor Bryant said.

SBCC has about 100 positions listed on its job board, including bringing back security guards and maintenance staff. They were not needed during at-home learning. Administrators hope to be back to pre-pandemic on-campus learning by spring 2022.

If you’re interested in applying for a job with the Santa Barbra Unified School District visit their website. Or to apply for a job at SBCC visit their website.