HARRISBURG, Pa. -- School's out for summer, but not for long.
Administrators with the Harrisburg School District are making sure there are enough teachers for students when they head back to the classroom in August.
The district put on a job fair to help resolve a shortage of teachers.
Whether applicants are fresh out of school, wanting to change districts or their career, people of all ages and backgrounds showed up at Thursday's recruitment event.
Administrators with the Harrisburg School District are looking for a few good men and women, such as Lydia Heishman, who want to teach.
Job candidate Lydia Heishman said "I love working with kids. I've always worked with kids. I actually went to school for a different degree, and realized my passion was with students and children, so I ended up switching, and I have loved it ever since."
Harrisburg School District director of human resources Curtis Tribue said "Spanish teachers, French teachers, math, science, elementary teachers, so the whole gamut of positions are potentially available."
It's why Tribue couldn't be more pleased with how many people showed up at the district's job fair.
"With retirement and people moving to different districts, there's a need to fill those vacancies. Harrisburg has approximately 40 vacancies that we're looking to fill in the middle, high school, and elementary areas."
Some principals at the event know exactly what they're looking for in a teacher to lead their school's classrooms.
Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus principal Dr. Sieta Achampong said "you have to be student centered and and willing to work with our students, and our population of students. Excited about teaching and learning a craft, your instruction, and your content. And again, just dedicated to the Harrisburg School District. That's what I'm looking for."
The job seekers will have to meet the challenges of teaching in a city school district.
"Some poverty issues, students moving from school to school, those are some of the challenges, but with that, we also have very good programs that attract students and help them develop their tracks," Tribue said.
"We're hearing from a lot of experienced candidates who seem to want to be here in the Harrisburg School District, and again, that's what we're looking for," Dr Achampong said.
The district isn't limiting its search to Thursday's. It's looking for potential candidates up and down the east coast, and even in Puerto Rico.