The Altoona Area School District is hosting a job fair Thursday. With the start of the school year just a few weeks away, like many school districts across the country, Altoona still has a wide variety of unfilled positions.
Paula Foreman is the Community Relations Director for the Altoona Area School District. She said she hopes the job fair will help the district fill its support roles.
“We do have a little bit of an urgent need for our security and greeters. We want to increase the number that we have here at the district, so we’re looking for folks who can fill that role,” Foreman said.
She said there is also still a need for special education aides, custodians and substitute teachers. She said many of the jobs available are during school hours and would be a good fit for parents who want to be home with their children before and after school.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania State Senators met to address what they called a “staffing shortage crisis” in Pennsylvania schools, including large vacancies in support staff roles. During the virtual public hearing, State Senators cited low wages as one of the “barriers that can be overcome.”
Foreman said the district has increased some rates to make the positions more attractive. The job fair will be held Thursday from 2-6 p.m. in the Altoona High School lobby.