A school district in New Jersey used a lucrative signing bonus to its advantage, hiring 115 teachers in 11 weeks.
The Paterson school district authorized $7,500 signing bonuses to new hires after having 135 vacant teaching positions in September. Hired teachers will receive the bonus as long as they remain in the K-12 district for at least two years, according to school officials via NJ.com.
BONUS CHECKS: SOME ARKANSAS TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE GIFT IN FORM OF ONE-TIME $1,500 BONUS
The district said there are 146 teaching vacancies as of Dec. 1. However, the district said the current number of teaching vacancies would have been “nearly 80% higher” without the bonuses.
Superintendent Eileen F. Shafer said the goal is to recruit teachers to Paterson Public Schools, which is in New Jersey’s third-largest city.
“The evidence is clear that the pre-employment agreements have been effective in recruiting qualified teachers to Paterson Public Schools and helping us limit the number of our vacancies,” Shafer said.
Paterson Public Schools is funding the bonuses through allotments from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief federal program.
It is at least the second large school district in New Jersey to offer signing bonuses for new teachers this year.
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In Newark, the school district announced new hires in critical areas, including mathematics, science, special education, bilingual education, and English as a second language, would be eligible for a $4,000 signing bonus, as well as up to $1,000 bonuses for district employees who refer a new hire.
“The most important job we have in this business of education is putting certified teachers in front of our students in our classrooms,” Shafer said. “This effective recruiting strategy is doing exactly that.”
