In a decisive move to address staffing challenges, the Midway ISD Board of Trustees approved a request to add more than 15 new 2025-26 teaching and staff positions at its regular March 2025 meeting.
“We’ve cut back where we can, tightened where we can, hoping the legislature will help us, but now it’s time to fill in the gaps,” Trustee Colin Witt said. “It’s time we do what we can to get our teachers some help. I like to see that we are doing this.”
Presented by the Human Resources Department, the plan targets the district’s most pressing issues in recruitment and retention—especially for teachers and special education staff. The approved plan includes approximately $930,000 in funding for 15.5 new professional positions.
“I’d like to point out that these positions impact students directly and are in response to needs our teachers and principals have voiced,” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Ashley Canuteson said.
These roles are designed to reduce teacher workload, provide direct support to students, and address growing program needs. New positions include additional secondary teachers intended to allow for PLCs in all core content areas, a dance teacher, a CTE health science teacher, additional special education staff, a speech-language pathologist, a special education counselor, and mental health support for employees.
The presentation also highlighted root causes contributing to the district’s staffing challenges: compensation, heavy workloads, student behavior, academic demands, and teacher certification requirements. Employee feedback confirms these concerns, noting limited planning time, unfilled substitute positions, and a desire for more training and support.
“Work-life balance, work quality and overall staff workload are major areas that we need to address,” Dr. Canuteson said. “We’ve been consistent with the board’s support in the compensation arena - and that will remain important, but these positions are a direct response to campus and department needs outside of pay.”
To address these issues, the district has already taken steps to improve efficiency including earlier job postings, program reconfigurations in special education, targeted hiring campaigns, and a master schedule audit at secondary campuses. A new compensation plan, pending legislative outcomes, is also under development.
