Some Colorado schools going back with too few teachers, drivers and declining enrollments

The 2024-25 school year is starting with districts seeking help. Across Colorado, many districts are again short of teachers, staff, and bus drivers. 

In Jefferson County Schools, which resumes for most students on Thursday, the district is still looking to hire 11 teachers, 35 paraprofessionals, and 27 special education teachers, despite decades of declining enrollments due to a drop in birth rates and rising housing costs.

In the Boulder Valley School District, officials are seeking to hire a dozen teachers as the district opens. They are offering a $3,500 signing bonus to bus drivers.

“What we’re trying to do is be proactive and engage the community,” said Superintendent Dr. Rob Anderson. “We’ve been talking about this for several years.”

The district has been marketing its efforts to educate and address the shortage.

“We found schools that have lower enrollment. We’re looking at new academic programs and new marketing to let folks know we have room in our amazing schools here in the Boulder Valley School District,” Anderson said.

In Jefferson County, the district addressed a shortage of bus drivers last year by noticing the number of buses that were not full and purchasing 18 smaller buses that do not require commercial driver’s licenses. The district is now fully staffed with drivers for this year.

Last school year, districts in Colorado were about 1,400 teachers short.

“We have more than enough people with educator licenses right now that could fill the need,” said Kevin Vick, president of the state’s largest teachers’ union, the Colorado Education Association. “There are more people licensed than working in the profession. They are simply not staying,” Vick said.

Colorado ranks last in competitive professional pay. But it’s not only about pay. There are also concerns about safety and standardization of teaching practices, according to Vick.

“It’s important to understand there’s a difference between standards and standardization,” Vick said. He believes standards are appropriate, but standardization frustrates educators.

“They prescribe a certain way of teaching, a certain curriculum, or certain grade level expectations, and they find that when they are teaching the kids, the kids need something else,” Vick said. “It’s about the same as expecting kids to all be the same height.”

Some educators have left for jobs outside of teaching. Denver Public Schools will start the year with dozens of teachers and paraprofessionals short. 

Parent Henry moved his 7-year-old and 11-year-old children to a different school this year due to what he described as problem students at his children’s previous school.

“Who doesn’t love teaching young, happy little minds? But when it becomes that difficult and you don’t have any power for any kind of discipline whatsoever and the kids know that, what are you going to do?” Henry said.

He also worries about teachers trying to push some students while leaving others bored and not challenged. Nevertheless, he believes his children have had good teachers who care.

“It is cool to see teachers who are passionate about it and really put their heart into it despite major challenges,” Henry said.