News Photo by Crystal Nelson Annette Sauls, dispatcher at Alpena Public Schools, on Friday presses a button to close the school bus doors. Sauls has already had to drive a route this year when a substitute bus driver couldn’t be found.

ALPENA — School districts in Northeast Michigan are in need of substitute teachers, bus drivers, and instructional staff.

“We desperately need to find more people in our community that will be willing to sub in any of those areas,” Alcona Community Schools Superintendent Dan O’Connor recently posted on the district’s Facebook page. “Without subs, we will be forced to transition to remote learning days when staff are out sick.”

O’Connor said the district usually has substitute teachers who are either retirees or former teachers, but those people have been hesitant to return because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said many substitutes have their own health concerns.

But O’Connor said that, as the district navigates the school year and staff become sick or potentially have to self-isolate over COVID-19 concerns, district officials are left in a really tough spot if there aren’t enough substitutes.

Alpena Public Schools Executive Director for Human Resources and Labor Relations Matt Poli said substitute teachers and bus drivers are hard to find throughout the state. While the district is currently holding its own, district officials are always looking for more people to become substitutes.

“This year, it’s probably a little more of a challenge, just because of all the uncertainties and everything is a little different than it has been in the past, but we’re always looking for subs,” he said.

He said it takes time for substitutes to go through the application process, and substitute bus drivers go through a series of trainings.

Poli said the district especially struggles to find substitute bus drivers, and district officials are actively recruiting substitute bus drivers.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.