PITTSFILED, Il — Pikeland CUSD #10 continues to work toward filling several teaching vacancies across the district. Superintendent Russ Tepen said the district currently has openings in special education, elementary, junior high and high school classrooms, with long-term substitutes helping cover those positions.

The district is actively recruiting certified educators, including reaching out to potential candidates in Missouri and working with area colleges such as John Wood Community College and Quincy University. District officials are also focusing on building a pipeline of future teachers, with some current paraprofessionals working toward certification.

Pikeland has already added several certified staff members this year, and Tepen said the district hopes to significantly reduce the number of positions filled by staff who do not yet meet the full certification requirements by next school year.

The district has also been selected to apply for an Illinois Teacher Vacancy Grant. If approved, those funds are expected to help support current employees working toward teacher certification.

Tepen noted that some specialized positions, including speech-language pathologists and social workers, remain particularly difficult for school districts to fill.