Hundreds of Teaching Positions Remain Unfilled as Schools Prepare to Start in Minnesota

As most Minnesota schools prepare to start after Labor Day, the Minnesota School Boards Association conducted a survey from Aug. 3 to 9 that has revealed 349 open teacher positions in greater Minnesota and 519 teacher vacancies in the seven county metro area around Minneapolis/St. Paul.

The survey further revealed that of the 349 open teacher positions in greater Minnesota, 217 of the positions never had anyone apply for them. Additionally, the survey discovered 571 paraprofessional openings in greater Minnesota, with the Minneapolis metro needing 698 paraprofessionals.

Of the openings in greater Minnesota, 352 of them had no applicants. Moorhead Public School‘s website on Aug. 22 showed eight open teacher positions and nine open paraprofessional positions as the district prepared to start classes on Thursday, Aug. 24. Similarly, the Detroit Lakes Public Schools website showed two full time teacher positions still open, while the East Grand Forks Public Schools website showed one full time open teaching position.

The Minnesota School Boards Association report does not include how many substitute teachers are needed across the state, but all of the districts listed have advertised for substitute positions.