Berkeley Co, SC: Over 3 dozen new SPED positions open for fall
- The end of childhood
- May 20
- 2 min read
May 13, 2025, WCSC, Charleston, SC: Berkeley County School Board looks to add $1.9M of special education positions
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Over three dozen new positions in the Berkeley County School District’s special education department could be open next year if the school board gives the green light.
This would include 33 paraprofessional positions and five itinerant secretary positions in the special education department. These are special education teacher assistants and those who work on paperwork and scheduling. Their salaries would be worth a total of $1.9 million.
The district’s chief human resource officer, Aimee Fulmer, says these positions would go in the resource, cross-categorical, preschool, self-contained, mild, moderate to severe and autism classrooms.
This is the second time the board has considered additional special education positions for next school year, which were eventually approved, on top of other approved allocations for this school year as well. . . .
“If it’s just someone new every day, it’s a completely new learning curve, new expectations, new routines,” Watson said. “And that’s usually when we see behavior difficulties.”
Plus, there are 29 positions listed as “special education assistants” open for applicants on the district’s job website.
Fulmer said they fully expect to fill the new spots if they’re board-approved.
“We do have positions district-wide that are not filled,” Watson said. “So, I’m hopeful that maybe this is a step in the right direction.”
Berkeley County School District spokesperson Katie Tanner sent the following statement:
“Our chief human resources officer shared that we have been successful in hiring our paraprofessional positions. We are in the midst of a busy recruitment season, seeing some of our highest registrations for our recruitment fair since the pandemic. Our recruitment efforts expand across the state and nation, and we will continue to work to recruit and retain the best teachers in Berkeley County.”
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