Caroline schools report 66 new hires for 2025–26; about 39 are provisionally eligible for licensure

Caroline County Public Schools reported to the school board that 66 new teachers have been hired for the 2025–26 school year, department staff said Aug. 18.

Human-resources lead (presented as Miss Tucker) told board members that of the 66 hires, 27 are fully licensed and 39 are eligible for licensure or provisional licensure. The new cohort brings a combined total of roughly 389 years of teaching experience, the presentation said. Academic credentials among the hires include 18 with master’s degrees and one with a doctorate.

Tucker described a multi-pronged recruitment strategy: 29 hires came through the division’s Applicant Tracking (AppleTrack) platform; nine from Indeed; four through a J-1 visa partnership; four via Handshake; four through a Pathways to Teaching program; and 10 internal promotions (including long-term substitutes and paraprofessionals completing degrees).

A board member asked about the overall vacancy rate; Tucker responded the division was “right around 96%” filled at the time of the meeting. Board members congratulated staff on the progress and thanked the recruiting team for diversifying the candidate pool; the presentation also noted new staff represent racial and gender diversity measures the district is tracking.

Remaining advertised vacancies included a special-education teacher and CTE teacher at the high school, a director of counseling and special-education specialist at the middle school, and counselor and special-education openings at elementary schools. The HR lead said targeted recruiting and partnerships with college programs and referral incentives were being used to fill remaining positions.

No formal board action was required; staff said they will continue outreach until all vacancies are filled.