The Greater Essex County District School Board is hiring more staff.

Superintendent of Education John Howitt tells CTV Windsor 74 teachers have received a full-time or part-time contract.

The reason for the hiring spree is due to a significant increase in enrolment. The board has nearly 630 more students compared to last fall.

"We're really early in looking at the data but what we are seeing is that it’s not all junior kindergarten and new beginners to our board” says Howitt. “We're seeing it right across JK to grade 8, which is telling us there are a lot of new families coming to Windsor-Essex.”

Shawn Windibank graduated from the University of Windsor's faculty of education in 2011. Before that, he taught in Korea and for the past six years, he's worked as a supply teacher.

Now he has been hired full time. In fact, Windibank’s wife has also been hired by the public school board as a full time teachers after being on the waiting list for five years.

“She got hired on the same day so we were really thrilled,” says Windibank.

The enrolment increase has also helped alleviate the problem of empty spaces in schools, like Prince Edward Public School.

“This is my third year here,” says vice principal Joe Oldridge. “When I arrived, we had 365 students and we have over 530 students now.”

Only about 10 per cent of public schools in Windsor-Essex had level enrolment, or a slight decline this September.

The public school board will also be hiring to replenish its occasional teachers list.