Summer school is short of paraprofessionals

The Cloquet School District is hiring. For the first time in his tenure, superintendent Michael Cary said not enough paraprofessionals applied for summer care jobs.

“We were short one person for three weeks, Monday through Thursday, so 12 days,” Cary told school board members during Tuesday’s meeting. “So by contract, we’re having to go from most senior to least senior and offer formal employment one by one until we find somebody willing to take the job.”

Cary suspected why there was a dramatic dip in summer applicants: unemployment insurance.

After the 2023 Minnesota legislative session, paraprofessionals, clerical, nutrition services, transportation, custodial and other non-instructional employees were eligible to apply for unemployment benefits if they did not have an offer of employment for work during the summer.

“So if people aren’t working, they’re getting paid a portion of their salary over the summer,” Cary said.

However, because the district must now offer paraprofessionals the jobs directly, their unemployment could be affected, Cary said, explaining that the unemployment office contacts the school district to ask if the district offered the applicant a job.

“That could impact someone’s ability to qualify for unemployment … but that’s up to the unemployment office,” Cary said.

He is hoping to find someone to take the 12-day vacancy soon, Cary told board members.

In other matters Tuesday, school board members unanimously approved the sale of $5.5 million in facilities maintenance bonds, which will be used for building projects and maintenance and paid back with annual long term facilities maintenance funds from the state.