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Committee hears proposal to restore first‑year signing bonuses to help rural teacher recruitment
Summary
Supporters told the House Education Committee that restoring a first‑year signing bonus would help small and rural districts recruit teachers; unions and others urged limits or targeting to hard‑to‑fill positions to avoid bidding wars and inequities.
House Bill 1498 would restore authority for school boards to pay a first‑year signing bonus to newly hired licensed teachers, Representative Roger Mackey said in opening testimony.
Proponents told the House Education Committee the tool is intended primarily to help smaller and rural districts recruit new teachers and to retain staff who take on hard‑to‑fill roles. Amy Copas, executive director of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, and multiple small‑district superintendents described situations in which a signing bonus helped a district recruit a teacher who otherwise would not have accepted the position in a small community. Rick Diegel, superintendent of Kidder County School District, described using signing bonuses over many years and said the tool is “crucial” for small schools.
Student and teacher groups supported the policy but cautioned it is not a substitute for higher base pay. Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, said the union supports putting more money in teachers’ pockets but prefers salary and bargaining table solutions; he recommended an amendment to limit signing bonuses to hard‑to‑fill positions to reduce inequities and “bidding war” dynamics.
Administrative clarifications were discussed. Amy DeCook, executive director of the North Dakota School Boards Association, recommended integrating the change into the existing Century Code section governing signing bonuses (chapter 15.109) rather than creating a separate new section; she provided language to amend the statute so the code remains consolidated. Wade Sick, state director for Career and Technical Education, asked the committee to confirm whether Career and Technical Education center boards would be able to use the same authority; the transcript record indicated that enabling language may also be needed for center boards under chapter 15‑20.207.
Witnesses described a range of safeguards and practical limits. Superintendents said districts generally use signing bonuses selectively; the current draft excludes individuals who taught in North Dakota the previous year (to reduce immediate ‘‘poaching’’ among districts). Several witnesses suggested adding an emergency clause so districts could use the authority for upcoming hiring cycles. Testimony included differing recollections about historic dollar limits (one witness recalled a $5,000 figure but said details would need confirmation). The committee closed the hearing on House Bill 1498 with no vote.
Notes: testimony emphasized rural recruitment, potential amendments to limit bonuses to hard‑to‑fill positions, and a request to ensure CTE centers are included if the bill is enacted.
