Board approves expanded focus for county-funded future teacher scholarship to include related service providers
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Summary
After a staff review of the future teacher scholarship program’s history and outcomes, the board approved programmatic adjustments to prioritize later-year awards, expand eligibility to certain related service providers, and embed HR support to improve yield and retention.
Miss Scowler, who led the staff review of the county-funded Future Teacher Scholarship, summarized the program history and data showing uneven fulfillment of the program’s work-obligation terms. The scholarship provides awardees a promissory loan (up to $28,000 over four years) that is forgiven incrementally if the recipient works for the district for a specified period.
Staff reported that earlier cohorts produced mixed outcomes: some recipients fulfilled the commitment and others defaulted; the district has recovered some defaulted funds and is pursuing repayment plans. Staff also noted rising hiring challenges in special education and related-services roles (speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, educational interpreters), which have required increasing use of contract providers at substantially higher daily rates.
Staff recommended several adjustments: prioritize awarding funds to students in their final two years of preparation (to improve placement yield), expand eligibility to include related service providers, add embedded HR support (a staff specialist already assigned) to track transcripts and licensure pathways, and consider loan-forgiveness options for current employees as a retention tool. The board approved the recommended adjustments and directed staff to revise marketing, application timelines and program administration.