ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Alamance-Burlington School System officials announced they are giving out a $10,000 recruitment bonus to new hires.
Superintendent Dr. Dain Butler said they are hoping to attract seasoned teachers to fill critical positions in the school district.
The following positions will be offered bonuses:
- CTE Classroom teachers in Middle and High School
- Middle & High School Math and Science
- Title I Elementary Schools - core classroom teachers
- EC Teachers, Speech & Language Pathologists, OTs, and Psychologists
“Districts across the country are attempting to fill similar positions as fewer people are choosing to enter the profession. Our hope is that these bonuses coupled with our exceptional teacher support programs will be an extra incentive to attract the best educators to ABSS,” said Butler.
ABSS currently has over 100 teaching vacancies across its 37 schools.
"People are just not entering the position entering the field as they once did," said Les Atkins, the Public Information Officer for ABSS. "Filling vacant positions is a priority right now to avoid the need (for) excessive substitutes in our classrooms and we don’t want to have our existing teachers cover those classrooms either. So our district administration is also working diligently to consolidate and eliminate spending that does not directly benefit our students in our teachers."
The District plans to use the Federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Funds) to pay for the traditional teaching positions and use Medicaid Administrative Claims (MAC) monies to cover the sign-on bonuses for Exceptional Children Teachers. MAC money is reimbursement received for administrative support required to identify students in need of health services and to coordinate and monitor these ongoing health services identified under the Fee for Service Medicaid program. ABSS plans to pay $5,000 upon hiring with the remaining $5,000 paid in May 2023 to encourage retention.
Guilford County Schools is offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus for some teachers who sign a two-year contract.
"All districts are battling this, not only across North Carolina but across the country," Atkins said. "We are in a competitive market right now."
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