By Jerry Bellune
JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Looking for work?
Got a high school diploma and are at least age 21?
Lexington County school districts want to talk with you.
The challenges of the pandemic are putting teachers and school district leaders in a difficult spot.
One of the biggest challenges is finding substitute teachers to fill in for teachers who are absent or on medical leave. 
The demand is outpacing the supply.
District 1 in Lexington, Gilbert and Pelion is no exception, says Communications Officer Mary Beth Hill.
"The most significant challenges we see are:
• Finding applicants who meet the qualifications.
• Finding applicants interested in long-term substitute commitments.
"Finding substitutes is challenging each year. However, finding them during a pandemic is beyond challenging," she said.
"As flu season begins and with the effect of quarantines on our daily staff absences, we've seen staff absences almost double. 
"Our current, reliable pool of subs has already accepted long-term substitute positions, which also cuts our available pool."

Qualified substitute teachers in District 1 must possess a high school diploma and be at least 21 years of age. The district provides substitute training for selected candidates. 
To apply, interested individuals should visit this link. https://www.joinlexington1.com 
We have not yet heard from the other 4 districts but suspect they face similar challenges.
If you are interested and live in another district, you might contact their Human Resource Department.