The Starkville Oktibbeha School District Board of Trustees approved a certified teacher recruitment and retention incentive of $4,000 for identified high need areas for new hires or rehires for the 2021-2022 school year during a special called board meeting on Tuesday.
The recruitment and retention incentive includes $4,000 for each new teacher hire or rehire in a pre-determined hard to staff licensed area position. The incentive also includes up to $1000 for individuals who currently live 50 miles or more from Starkville for relocation expense reimbursement.
The District has currently identified secondary science as a high need area.
"School districts across the state and the country face teacher shortages, particularly in high need areas such as secondary science," said Supt. Eddie Peasant. "The District is committed to teaching excellence at every level, and the incentive package allows us to be competitive in recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers who are licensed and certified in the area of science."
Secondary science teachers who are returning to the Starkville Oktibbeha School District for the 2021-22 school year will be eligible to receive the $4,000 incentive as a licensed teacher in a high need area.
To be eligible for the recruitment incentive, a teacher must have greater than 50% of their teaching assignment in the pre-determined hard to staff licensed area.
The teacher recruitment incentive is funded through Title II federal funds.
All recruitment incentives will be issued as a one-time payment at the end of the pay period for September 2021.