Sanders County schools search for support staff

Sanders County schools are gearing up for the coming year. Hot Springs was glad to report that they are fully staffed for the 23-24 school year. They have substitute teachers and their special ed department has paraprofessionals as needed. They are short a business and music teacher for the coming year. Music will have to be conducted in the classrooms. There is a JH and HS band teacher.

Long term substitute teachers will be needed to cover maternity leave. Enrollment will determine if more paras are needed, but they are taking applications, according to Nancy

Winebrenner, district secretary. “We are in a bit of a crunch due to the levy not passing,” Winebrenner said. School starts on September 5. Anyone interested in applying should

do so ASAP, she added. The back to school kick-off is August 17. The Salish Kootenai Tribe donates supplies for students and food and beverages are provided for the community

gathering that starts at 4 p.m.

The Noxon school is faring well with a fully staffed year ahead according to Secretary Robin Schwartz. “We are in need of a high school English teacher,” she said. The school has

an average enrollment of 165 students and high school teachers teach junior high students in general ed classes. According to principal David Whitesell, they are happy to have

more substitute teachers available and they are looking for a boys varsity basketball coach. Anyone interested in teaching English would have free housing for six months. The

cost of rent for the three bedroom is $300 a month. “We do what we can to help out new teachers,” Whitesell said. Interested applicants can go to the Noxon School website at

noxonschools.com Dixon school needs substitute teachers. Interested applicants can fill out an application on the school website. “We are sitting pretty good with paras.

So far everyone is coming back,” Shawna Olsen said. She is the secretary for the school and said that they do have one new teacher coming in to teach Special Education. The Dixon

school has a projected attendance of 61 students. They are a K-8 school. Trout Creek is also K-8 and has three para positions to fill. The board approved a pay increase to $13 an hour and substitute teachers make $85 a day. Their special needs one on one positions are harder to fill, according to principal Preston Wenz. Plains and Thompson Falls have been contacted but have not responded with their needs thus far.