Decatur board approves one‑year agreement with Peoria program to bring international teachers as part of broader recruitment plan

Decatur Public Schools on April 22 voted to approve a one‑year agreement to participate in an international teacher cultural exchange program run by Peoria Public Schools, authorizing administration to interview candidates and make offers to as many as 50 qualified teachers.

Monica (speaker 7), who presented the recruitment update, told the board the district faces a large staffing shortfall: the district has 120 certified vacancies (including 25 special‑education openings) and a total of about 175 vacancies when classified positions are included. She framed the Peoria program as one of five recruitment strategies the district will use alongside pipeline college work, pathways to certification, Grow‑Your‑Own programs, and local marketing efforts.

Peoria representatives described the host model: participating districts pay a program fee (listed at $4,000 per teacher the first year and $2,000 for years two through five) and Peoria handles J‑1 visa sponsorship, international background checks, and ongoing candidate support. Peoria told the board its program had placed roughly 118 international teachers with participating districts since 2020 and had reduced Peoria’s vacancy rate to the low single digits.

Board members pressed administrators and Peoria representatives on program terms, permanence and integration. Peoria confirmed the J‑1 exchange requires participants to commit at least three years (with the option to extend to five) and to return to their home country for two years at the conclusion of the exchange before being eligible to return on another J‑1. Administrators said the international teachers would be evaluated under the same standards as other new hires, that the district would continue domestic recruitment in parallel, and that plans exist to help incoming teachers with housing and community integration.

Monica estimated that hiring up to 50 teachers through the program could cost about $200,000 in first‑year program fees but noted that the district spent about $2.5 million this year on internal subbing; she characterized the program as part of a cost‑benefit approach to reduce operational strain on existing staff.

The board voted by roll call to approve the agreement for the 2025–26 school year (6 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent). Monica and administration said initial program fees would be covered by a teacher vacancy grant for the first year and salaries for newly filled positions would come from existing education fund allocations for vacant positions.

What’s next: administration will run interviews (scheduled to begin the Friday after the meeting), return offers within 48 hours for selected candidates if the board’s authorization is acted on by hiring teams, and bring back evaluation updates and any future year‑funding proposals to the board.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A at the April 22 board meeting; Peoria presenters’ program overview.