As the start of the school year approaches, South Dakota is grappling with a significant shortage of teachers, with 256 teacher openings reported as of July 31.
The Rapid City Area School District faces a hiring emergency with multiple elementary and special education teaching positions vacant.
While summer hiring has seen a decline from June, the state continues to struggle with finding qualified educators.
School districts are exploring non-traditional methods to fill positions, including relying on volunteers or aides, and some have turned to televised instruction as a temporary solution.
However, in-person learning remains the preferred method for quality education.