Good teachers, administrators and staff members are crucial to schools’ task of educating children.

That is why the positive benefits of the Chilton County School System’s first job fair could be reaped for years to come.

“All the administrators have been very positive,” Chilton County Board of Education Chairwoman Lori Patterson said.

The job fair was held Thursday at Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, with representatives from each local school and various departments on hand to network with and even interview more than 200 potential job seekers, Superintendent of Education Tommy Glasscock said.

“In talking to my principals, what I found out was they were spending all summer on interviews,” Glasscock said about the idea to have a centralized job fair.

Another benefit of the fair was allowing job seekers to connect with multiple administrators and other decision makers.

Glasscock said the event could help the school system avoid a situation where a candidate drives from out of town to interviews at a local school, is not offered a position at that school but could be a candidate elsewhere, but then balks at having to travel back to Chilton County.

The fair may also help the school system make hires earlier in the summer, as the job market for in-demand positions is competitive and schools that delay may miss out on the best candidates.

In addition to the local schools, representatives were on hand from the school system’s child nutrition program, maintenance, bus shop and central office, among other departments.

Candidates had the opportunity Thursday to speak with members of the school system’s human resources team and also apply for open positions online via computers set up in the banquet room.

Glasscock estimated that the system will make about 100 hires over the summer. There are about 850 employees in the system.

Those interested in employment opportunities with the Chilton County school system can still apply even if they did not attend the job fair.

Visit Chilton.k12.al.us, click “Human Resources” on the left side of the home page and then click “Employment” to see more information and a list of open positions.