Jeff Davis Parish School Board Superintendent John Hall said the need for certified teachers is felt statewide.

JEFF DAVIS PARISH, La. (KLFY)-- Jeff Davis Parish School Board Superintendent John Hall said the need for certified teachers is felt statewide.

"There's about a thirty percent across the state average of uncertified teachers," Hall said.

Hall said this stems from there not being enough teachers graduating from colleges to fill certified teaching positions.

"This school year we're very fortunate," Hall said. "Our personal department has done a great job of filling all of our vacancies. So as of right now we have vacancies filled, but that doesn't mean that all of our positions are with certified teachers."

He said the Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has come up with incentives to attract teachers to become certified.

"They're allowing bachelor's degree people to come in to be a teacher and while they are teaching, they are working on their teaching requirements," Hall said. "That's something that they passed a while ago that has really helped us out a lot."

Hall said Jeff Davis Parish is just under 25% to 30% of teachers who are uncertified and they're constantly trying to look for ways to fill the void.

He said one thing he's noticed that attracts teachers are districts with four-day work weeks and it's something the Jeff Davis Parish School Board is currently in the process of discussing.