Union County Public Schools offers $4,000 incentive for hard-to-fill teaching positions

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Union County Public Schools announced on Tuesday that it is offering new incentives to recruit and maintain employees at four schools.

During an Aug. 2 meeting, the Board of Education unanimously approved the strategy for East Union Middle, Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle, Forest Hills High and Monroe High.

Current English and language arts, math, science and exceptional children teachers will receive $4,000. The payments will be dispersed throughout the 10 months of the 2022 to 2023 school year.

Those who wish to teach in those areas will also receive $4,000. Those teachers will be paid in two installments, $2,000 in December 2022 and the other $2,000 in June 2023.

To be eligible for the incentive, teachers must be hired on or before Aug. 29.

“We have to think differently about recruitment and retention strategies to keep teachers in our schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Andrew Houlihan. “We recognize that teachers are considering other professions, but we need them and we want them to stay with Team UCPS.”

The district is supporting the initiative through ESSER III funding at a cost of $735.

Interested candidates can apply here.

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