Ray-Pec community,
I hope everyone has had a fantastic week! I want to take this opportunity to boast on two of our employee groups, and to share a general concern about the current staffing challenges that we and all school districts are currently facing.
First, the two boasts…..
National Principals Month
October is National Principals Month. Without a doubt, our entire teaching and support staff have done some incredible work to help Ray-Pec get to this point in the 2021-22 school year. One reason the district finds itself in this position is because of the tremendous leadership by our building principals. Leading a building through all of the twists and turns of the last couple of years is challenging. I ask that you join me in thanking our building principals for a job well done. I know they would appreciate that.
National Custodian Appreciation Day
Nationally, time in October is set aside to formally recognize another hard-working and sometimes overlooked group, and that is our custodians. Our team of 70 custodians works tirelessly not only in keeping our buildings clean but the too-numerous-to-mention “extra duties as assigned” to meet student and staff needs from a facility perspective. Many thanks and much appreciation to our custodians across this district!
And now, the concern….
On-going Staff Challenges
School districts and other businesses across the country are facing significant challenges in finding enough workers to fill important vacant positions. I am sure you have seen the numerous “help wanted” signs that proliferate our community and cities. We are not immune to that challenge. We currently have a variety of needs in the district that we are struggling to fill, and those vacancies are becoming critical. If you or someone you know have time and talents you would like to share with the district in an employment role, please take a moment to view our open positions (link here).
As I have said before, this is another challenging year, but it is also a year that has great opportunities. Thank you for entrusting your children to the Ray-Pec School District.
Mike Slagle
