Chino Valley recruiting teachers by building tiny homes near elementary school

CHINO VALLEY, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Chino Valley Unified School District officials say they have teacher openings they need to fill, and they are finding a new creative way to try and recruit new teachers.

Other smaller, more rural school districts in Arizona have built small homes for teachers as a way to give them a cheaper living option. The Chino Valley USD Superintendent John Scholl says they received a grant to help pay for 10 tiny homes for teachers. “I think it’s one part of the solution,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a cure-all. It would help with retention and recruitment. Districts can be creative with what they have and help provide housing for teachers to improve recruitment and retention of our staff.”

Scholl says finding “working force housing” in rural areas can be tough. He says prices have gone up, and there aren’t a lot of homes for sale or rent. For several years, the district has thought about ways to try and entice more people to apply for jobs. Now the district will build 10 tiny homes near Del Rio Elementary. Scholl says the $1.5 million project should be finished in the next nine months. He believes having a place to live within walking distance of work can be a perk, especially for international teachers who don’t have a driver’s license.

Not everyone thinks the tiny homes for teachers are a good idea. The Arizona Education Association believes there are better ways to entice people.

“Housing is a massive challenge for teachers and for education workers like bus drivers, paraprofessionals and cafeteria workers. That’s true in cities like Tucson and Phoenix, where home prices have skyrocketed recently, and in more rural parts of the state where housing just isn’t available. The same pattern is being repeated across the country.
In light of this, some districts are looking at purchasing land with taxpayer funds and constructing housing to sell or rent to educators. Sometimes this means true “tiny homes” designed for one person, sometimes it means modest starter homes for families.
Ultimately, it depends on the location and in some places a model like this may make sense. But there are significant risks. When the school district is both your employer and your landlord, it’s that much harder to speak up about potential problems or raise concerns. These programs also bring up questions about fairness and who makes decisions about how limited spots will be distributed. And initiatives like this create yet another program that school district staff need to manage, one that lies pretty far outside their usual area of expertise. Having school districts become housing agencies drains funds that may be better spent elsewhere.
The best long-term solution is to pay educators more, while using housing policy at the state and local level to directly address the shortage of affordable homes.”
Arizona Education Association

Here is the project outline sent to Arizona’s Family from the superintendent.

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