DENVER — Denver Public Schools (DPS) is hiring more staff after the enrollment of hundreds of migrant children this school year, the district said on Tuesday.
"And I think the main reason is because we are hiring for our bilingual ELA-S positions, as well as special education," said Jeremy Eddie, DPS senior manager for talent acquisition.
Since the start of the school year, 2,000 migrant children have started at Denver Public Schools, with 500 of those coming in October alone, according to DPS. Staff is stretched thin, which has led teachers and staff to ask the district to hire more help.
"They're like OK, can we get additional lines of support?" Eddie said.
In addition to DPS focusing on hiring bilingual and special education positions, district staff is also working to ensure the district's newest students have access to the basics.
"Do they have a roof over their head, do they have clothes, do they have food, do they have those basic necessities? And then, from there we can talk about academics," Eddie said.
He said the district is also working to get ahead of the increase in students to curb future staffing shortages before they start.
"We have to be proactive in seeking solutions and ensuring that not only are current students, are current populations being served, but also when we do have that influx of individuals, how can we ensure that they are being served, as well?" he said.
To try to draw in new staff members to help fill the gaps, DPS is hosting a hiring fair Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at North High School. That event is open for people to stop by and find out more about the open DPS job opportunities and even interview on the spot.
For more information on open jobs within DPS, visit the website here https://careers.dpsk12.org/.
More 9NEWS coverage of DPS:
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Education stories from 9NEWS