Glenwood Community School District Considers Early Notification Incentives For Out-going Teachers

The Glenwood Community School District is contemplating offering early notification incentives to staff considering retirement or planning to part ways with district this year.

The plan, which was discussed by the Glenwood school board at a special meeting last Monday, would offer a cash bonus to certified staff in good standing who inform the district now if they plan to retire or not return next school year.

Glenwood’s incentive compensation would be between $1,000 and $1,500, according to Glenwood Superintendent Devin Embray. It would be available to all certified staff regardless of years of service. The board is also considering a stipend for staff that are planning to leave the district but are not retiring.

“It would be a two-tier thing so those that are retiring get one amount and those that are just leaving the district get another amount,” he said.

The Council Bluffs Lewis Central School District announced recently it too is offering an early notification retirement incentive to its teachers.

Embray said he hopes Glenwood’s incentive can give the district a head start in hiring skilled, quality teachers.

“What we’re trying to do is, if a teacher knows they’re going to retire, we’re not trying to push them to retirement, but here’s a little bit of a stipend if you let us know in January so we can be on the front side of the hiring window to get the best possible staff we can get,” he said.

With the state of Iowa facing a teaching shortage in recent years, a tight hiring window in the spring has only hampered the search for quality staff, according to Embray.

“Ten years ago we might have had 50 people apply for an elementary teaching job; today we have less than 20,” Embray said, adding finding teachers in upper level math and sciences in the high school is also becoming increasingly challenging.

The stipend, Embray stressed, isn’t an economic decision.

The Glenwood district is facing a potential economic crunch in the coming year as it works through an 82- student dip in enrollment that will cost them more than $500,000 in state aid. Embray said previously the district is still considering its budget reduction options related to the enrollment drop.

“This is not a cost-cutting or money-saving idea,” Embray said about the early notification retirement incentive. “This is not to push anyone out. It’s asking those who are going to retire or leave to give us early notification so we’re really filling these positions. The stipend is to help us find a quality replacement.”

The board is expected to finalize its plan at the Dec. 9 board meeting. If approved, the early notification offer will go out to staff the following day.