More than 20 school districts and charter schools across the region are hiring, with educators feeling the pressure to find the right fit amid budget cuts and competition between small and large districts. Lines formed across dozens of booths as educators, notes in hand, searched for opportunities. “I know there’s a lot of budget cuts and just like a lot of like veteran teachers having to switch their job are really hard. I know it’s really competitive right now trying to find a job,” said Jason Silva, who is looking for a job involving sports programs at a high school in a larger district. Gina Paradis, who is searching for a position in a smaller district, said, “I think a lot of smaller, they have a more, leeway in the sense that their systems are in, I guess, bigger district. So they kind of can try new things. They have more of a capacity, maybe with staff to be able to do something like that.” The Dixon Unified School District, which serves 3,000 students in a smaller rural community, is an example of how districts are adapting to attract educators. “Historically, we have not been competitive in terms. So we did an analysis this year of 19 districts within 30 miles of our district and we lifted our salaries up so that we are at the median rate,” said Dan Scudero of Dixon Unified School District. Scudero added, “This year we did have some budget cuts so to increase our salary schedule we had to right-size our district and so that meant we had to do away with some of the positions we no longer needed so that we could pay the positions that were remaining a fair salary.” District staff said this is the first time in 20 to 30 years Dixon has had a competitive rate. Other districts, like the Sacramento City Unified School District, are also addressing budget challenges while prioritizing essential positions. “The budget cuts will not hit our educators. We know that we need teachers, we need instructional aids, we need bus drivers, we need food service. We know we’re not going to cut from those positions because our students are going to come to school every day, and they deserve the very best,” said Tiffany Smith-Simmons of Sacramento City Unified School District.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

More than 20 school districts and charter schools across the region are hiring, with educators feeling the pressure to find the right fit amid budget cuts and competition between small and large districts.

Lines formed across dozens of booths as educators, notes in hand, searched for opportunities.

“I know there’s a lot of budget cuts and just like a lot of like veteran teachers having to switch their job are really hard. I know it’s really competitive right now trying to find a job,” said Jason Silva, who is looking for a job involving sports programs at a high school in a larger district.

Gina Paradis, who is searching for a position in a smaller district, said, “I think a lot of smaller, they have a more, leeway in the sense that their systems are in, I guess, bigger district. So they kind of can try new things. They have more of a capacity, maybe with staff to be able to do something like that.”

The Dixon Unified School District, which serves 3,000 students in a smaller rural community, is an example of how districts are adapting to attract educators.

“Historically, we have not been competitive in terms. So we did an analysis this year of 19 districts within 30 miles of our district and we lifted our salaries up so that we are at the median rate,” said Dan Scudero of Dixon Unified School District.

Scudero added, “This year we did have some budget cuts so to increase our salary schedule we had to right-size our district and so that meant we had to do away with some of the positions we no longer needed so that we could pay the positions that were remaining a fair salary.”

District staff said this is the first time in 20 to 30 years Dixon has had a competitive rate.

Other districts, like the Sacramento City Unified School District, are also addressing budget challenges while prioritizing essential positions.

“The budget cuts will not hit our educators. We know that we need teachers, we need instructional aids, we need bus drivers, we need food service. We know we’re not going to cut from those positions because our students are going to come to school every day, and they deserve the very best,” said Tiffany Smith-Simmons of Sacramento City Unified School District.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel