Twelve previously frozen teaching positions will be advertised just in time for the 2009-10 school year, according to Dr. Bill Brothers, director of human resources for Suwannee County Schools.

Tuesday, the Suwannee County School Board granted Brothers permission to post the 12 instructor positions. Thirty-nine positions that had been frozen at the start of the 2008-2009 school year.

“Just to be able to go out and begin recruiting teachers and just to hold to the requirements of class size reduction is great news,” Brothers said.

He and others looked at current data and determined that 18 teachers were needed to meet current standards. He said a projection showed that 20 teachers were necessary for kindergarten through fifth grade alone for the upcoming year.

“I found a way to gain the eight other instructors I needed by using the transfer mechanism,” Brothers said.

The school board approved seven of those transfer positions in Tuesday’s meeting, giving Brothers the additional help he needs.

Brothers now has the ability to hire 12 instructors, plus an additional seven, totaling 19 that he hopes to have in place by the start of next school year.