This time last week, Ricardo, a furloughed federal employee from San Antonio, was sitting at home wondering when the partial government shutdown would end.
Tuesday, he spent the day substitute teaching 21 fifth graders.
鈥淲here are you headed now?鈥� Ricardo asked a student as he picked them up from computer class. TPR is only using Ricardo鈥檚 middle name due to the sensitive nature of his work with the federal government.
He said his first day has been pretty smooth, in part because he鈥檚 coached two of the students in a Catholic youth sports league.
Late last week, the Northside Independent School District hired Ricardo to work as a tutor and substitute teacher at his children鈥檚 school, where his wife also teaches.
He applied last Wednesday, the same day Northside posted a specifically for workers affected by the shutdown. North East ISD launched a Friday.
鈥淎 few hours later I received a call from the NISD (human resources) department asking if I鈥檇 like to come into their office,鈥� Ricardo said. 鈥淭he process was just so smooth and fast.鈥�
By last Thursday he was hired.
In the week since Northside launched the application, the district has hired 16 federal employees and contractors, with more expected in the coming days.
Patty Hill, assistant superintendent for HR at Northside came up with the idea to hire furloughed federal employees and contractors.
She said some of the district鈥檚 120 campuses had food drives to help families missing federal paychecks, but as the shutdown dragged on Northside wanted to do more.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so big and so we didn鈥檛 want these isolated pockets. We wanted to make sure it was a districtwide effort,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淭his just made mutual beneficial sense for us to do this.鈥�
With 7,600 teachers in the district, Hill said Northside is always looking for more tutors, bus drivers, and substitutes.
鈥淓ven though we have 2,600 substitutes 鈥� on days like Fridays, Mondays 鈥� sometimes all of our jobs do not fill,鈥� Hill said.
Gina Elliott with North East鈥檚 HR department said they are also always hiring. Both districts are waiving the $40-$50 background check fee for applicants affected by the shutdown. Depending on the position, hired temporary workers will be paid $75-$85 a day.
For Ricardo鈥檚 family, that鈥檚 enough to pay for a grocery bill or two. He said he鈥檚 grateful for the chance to stay busy.
鈥淪o far we鈥檙e OK. We鈥檙e OK (financially),鈥� Ricardo said. 鈥淣ot knowing when there is an end to the furlough, I kind of wanted to get a jump start and say, 鈥榊ou know what? Let me put my name out there and generate at least a second income for the time being.鈥� 鈥�
With savings and his wife鈥檚 job, Ricardo said they鈥檒l be OK for another month or two. But he knows other families are hurting now.
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Camille Phillips can be reached at Camille@tpr.org or on Twitter
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