Clovis school district needs more educators

CLOVIS — The Clovis school district continues to struggle with a teacher shortage.

The Eastern New Mexico News reports Clovis Municipal Schools Superintendent Jody Balch said last week the district had 25 teaching openings and 23 openings for long-term substitutes.

Out of the district’s 525 teaching positions, about 36 percent are not being filled by the traditional methods.

According to the 2018 New Mexico Educator Vacancy Report, there were 33 percent fewer students completing educator preparation programs in New Mexico during the 2017-2018 school year than in 2009-2010.

An endowed chair is a permanent pool of funding that’s invested. The interest earned then goes to pay the salary of the researcher holding the position.

New Mexico State University senior major gifts officer Cindy Nicholson says the effort recently was around $5,471 short of its $1 million goal. But some supporters finally came in and donated the rest of the money.

JOURNAL AND WIRE REPORTS