The St. Mary Parish School Board as announced a new incentive to attract and retain teachers during an ongoing teacher shortage. In a statement released Friday afternoon, the school district said that teacher shortages are a growing concern across the country. As a result, teacher recruitment and retention efforts are at the forefront as school systems compete for certified personnel from a limited pool of qualified applicants.
As an incentive to attract education majors, who are completing their ten-month Residency I
and Residency II requirement, the St. Mary Parish School Board has approved a monthly
stipend of $1,000 for those who choose the St. Mary Parish System for their residency. Those
who accept the residency stipend and successfully complete degree requirements must
commit to the system for a two-year employment contract. As new employees, they will begin
on the 2nd year salary schedule when hired.
“I am thrilled by the commitment shown by the members of the St. Mary Parish School Board
to attract qualified educators to our system,” stated Superintendent Buffy Fegenbush.
“We will keep pushing to recruit and retain trained educators for our students and our St. Mary
Parish community.’