The Elusive Housing Search for Teacher Applicants

Affordable housing offered by school districts brings recruitment benefits that enable incoming staff to live in the community where they work When three hopeful teachers canceled their signed contracts the summer before the 2022-23 school year because they could not find affordable housing in Bentonville, Ark, superintendent Debbie Jones realized the precarious recruitment situation the school district and community fared. Bent unville, which is home to Wal-Mart, has seen fest-paced population growth over the past decade, and the housing squeeze has made it challenging for the high' performing school district to fill staff vacancies. Community Scrutiny New construction projects, especially one akin to the 100-unit development envisioned in Bentonville, can generate widespread curiority and vocal concerns within communities, But Bentonville's initiative for attracting well-qualified teachers to work in its schools appeared to have wide public support, including an endorsment from the local chamber of commence, Rezoniug of the nine-acre site directly behind the high school by the city council in February had been expected. The affordable housing has helped to retain and attract teachers to such a high degree, Jaco says, that he and ihe school board agreed to construct a new apartment complex with 64 units.