St. Lucie County public schools are reporting a sharp rise in teacher and staff vacancies midway through the school year, with 128 positions currently listed, according to new statewide data from the Florida Education Association.
That figure is significantly higher than the number reported in August, when the district listed 15 vacancies. It also exceeds vacancy totals in neighboring Treasure Coast counties, where Indian River County reports 22 openings and Martin County reports 39.
Across Florida, the FEA data show thousands of unfilled positions as districts enter the second half of the school year, including roles ranging from teachers and paraprofessionals to bus drivers, custodial workers and cafeteria staff.
Despite the increase locally, St. Lucie Public Schools officials say campuses remain fully operational.
“We are maintaining stable operations across all schools,” said Lydia Martin, the district’s chief communications officer. She said substitute teachers are being placed in classrooms when staff are on extended leave, and long-term substitutes working toward certification are filling some vacancies with support from mentors. School leaders, she added, are also adjusting schedules to protect core instruction.
“While vacancies are never ideal, our campuses remain fully functional, supervised, and supported, and instructional time continues without disruption,” Martin said.
District leaders say the midyear rise in vacancies is not unexpected.
“Mid-year increases in posted vacancies are typical and expected,” Martin said, noting that early-year numbers usually reflect only positions unfilled at the start of school. As the year goes on, she said, openings emerge due to staff changes, approved leaves and routine movement within the profession.
Many of those positions are expected to be resolved before the next school year, Martin said, as teachers return from leave, certification requirements are completed and annual hiring accelerates over the summer.
“Summer is when districts traditionally fill the majority of openings, and we anticipate the vacancy numbers will normalize as that cycle occurs,” she said.
The Florida Education Association, which released the statewide figures, said the persistence of vacancies halfway through the school year points to deeper challenges facing public education.
“With thousands of vacancies still halfway through the year, the data reflects a larger problem,” the union said in its statement, adding that many districts are struggling to retain qualified educators even as enrollment declines in some areas.
FEA President Andrew Spar said the issue goes beyond staffing numbers.
“If even one child walks into a classroom this semester without a permanent, certified educator, that is one too many,” Spar said in the release. He pointed to low pay and increasing turnover as factors driving educators out of the profession.
Statewide, the data show some of the highest vacancy totals in large districts such as Polk County, with 412 openings, Hillsborough County with 340 and Palm Beach County with 234. Closer to the Treasure Coast, Okeechobee County reports 14 vacancies.
In St. Lucie County, officials say they are focused on keeping classrooms supported while continuing recruitment efforts.
“We anticipate the vacancy numbers will normalize,” Martin said, as the district moves toward the traditional summer hiring season.