HWL Insights

The alarm bells are ringing across America's school districts. In Philadelphia, school officials struggle to fill around 2,000 vacancies each year despite having over 12,000 teachers. In Clark County, Nevada, the 2024-2025 school year began with 163 special education openings out of 320 total classroom vacancies. These aren't isolated incidents; they're symptoms of a nationwide workforce crisis threatening public education. 

Special education staffing shortages remain one of the most pressing challenges for K-12 districts. With IDEA compliance being non-negotiable, districts are adopting innovative strategies to ensure students receive required services despite a shrinking talent pool.

For over a decade, HWL has partnered with hundreds of leading healthcare systems nationwide to solve one of their most pressing challenges: workforce management. Through our integrated MSP and VMS solutions, we’ve helped hospitals and other healthcare providers streamline contingent labor, reduce costs, ensure compliance, and maintain operational excellence—even in the most complex environments. 

School district Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) face mounting financial pressures in 2025. Escalating labor costs, staffing shortages, and the expiration of federal COVID relief funds are driving operating fund balances down—from 26% in 2024 to 24% this year, with further declines expected in 2026, according to Moody's Ratings. Staffing costs now exceed pre-pandemic levels, while districts struggle with teacher shortages, rising contracted service expenses, declining enrollment, and compliance risks tied to contingent labor.

We’re thrilled to welcome Tay Person to HWL as Vice President of Business Development for our Education Vertical.