BRIGHTON — While the website for Brighton Area Schools still promotes numerous open positions in several district departments, many of those jobs have been filled over the past few months. Some part-time opportunities remain.

The district periodically looks to fill positions with historically higher levels of turnover, such as custodial, food services, paraprofessionals and substitute teachers. The demand for these positions varies, so having qualified candidate information on file can help the district fill needs when they arise.

Jobs are currently open for a health occupations clinical coordinator, music specialists, a before and after school programs specialist, custodial professionals and a few other part-time positions, said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jacob Anastasoff.

Just one opening remains for a full-time medical assistant and paraprofessional.

Brighton Schools has utilized subs and temporary interim staff to fill transient positions in the past until they can hire a permanent employee, Anastasoff said. The goal is to hire employees who are interested in working for a longer period of time. Hiring a new employee often takes one to three weeks.

“Other vacancies are temporarily filled by utilizing our current staff with being flexible with our scheduling and/or providing additional hours,” Anastasoff said. “(The timeframe for hire) depends on the speed at which the new hire finishes all required paperwork and background checks.”

Director of Student Nutrition Richard Browder said his department has been fully staffed for most of the school year. He oversees 43 full- and part-time employees with hourly pay ranging from $14.76-$19. The majority of departmental employees are parents with school-aged children looking for part-time work that’s convenient for their schedules, Browder said.

“(Our department) offers flexibility and a schedule that mirrors their kids’ schedules,” Browder said.

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Keeping positions filled has been an ongoing challenge for a few years, because of the low employment rate and the vast availability of jobs in Michigan since 2019.

“It’s a simple case of supply and demand,” Anastasoff said ” We strive to stay competitive with our wages and benefits, along with offering a supportive work environment.”

To learn more, visit brightonk12.com and search for “jobs.”

— M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton Schools succeeds against labor shortage, but seeks some part-timers