Rural School Districts Draw Teachers With A Family-Friendly Approach

Rural school districts like Bloomburg ISD outside Texarkana offer shorter hours and more pay for science and math in order to draw teachers away from the major metropolitan hubs.

By Michael MarksAugust 22, 2017 1:29 pm

School is back in session, and while students are sent back to class with new notebooks, pens, tablets and backpacks, rural school districts don’t always start the year with all the supplies they need — including teachers.

Brian Stroman, superintendent of the Bloomburg Independent School District about 30 miles south of Texarkana, says the teacher shortage there has gotten worse over the years mainly because of competition with other districts. He says many teachers are drawn away to the Dallas metro area, in particular, because salaries are so much higher.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

—How teacher salaries in Bloomburg ISD compare to the rest of Texas

—The strategies rural districts use to draw teachers to the area

—Why Bloomburg ISD pays more for math and science teachers

 

Written by Caroline Covington.