Desperate Douglas County looks at creating teacher housing
The Douglas County Board of Education Tuesday night looked at the potential of pairing up with a developer to create housing for teachers who cannot afford to live in the district.
"There has to be incentive for people to want to teach. You know, it's a hard job, it seems like it's getting harder," said Kyle Smart, who was out with his dog at the site on East Main Street by the Meridian Village subdivision out RidgeGate Parkway east of Interstate 25.
"Our starting teacher salary as you know is $43,680. There is nowhere in Douglas County that someone who makes $43,680 can live," Superintendent Erin Kane told the board.
In November, Douglas County voters turned down a mill levy increase to raise teacher salaries. Competition for teachers with other districts has meant an outflow of talent noted Board President Mike Peterson: "We have teachers that are living in Douglas County and commuting north for that compensation gap. We see it in the exit surveys."
Developer Shea Properties came to the district with a proposal for building income restricted apartments in the Meridian Village subdivision for teachers in one to three bedroom units.
"And it's still very much in the concept stage. We're not in a place yet where we're making any agreements. But this is where our thinking is going on again how we can help our staff and our teachers be able to actually live here," Kane explained to CBS News Colorado.
The land was set aside for potential school construction in the future, but the district says it turned out to be too small. Douglas County would contribute the land at fair market value with eight percent interest. The Douglas County Housing Authority would bonds for construction. Shea Properties would develop the property, receiving a fee and manage it.
The board was not only receptive, but enthusiastic in its comments.
"Everything about this conversation is the right thing to do. We have to find creative ways to take care of our employees," said District C Director Elizabeth Hanson.
"I just love, love the concept," said District F Director David Roy. "Your question was is this worthy to continue to explore? I said absolutely."
The concept does not answer the entirety of the problem said superintendent Kane: "What we presented tonight is very conceptual in nature. There are a lot of outstanding questions. We have a lot of work to do to make sure that we have thoroughly researched all of these concepts and understand how we can make it work."
Among them, how to make it school teacher or district employee housing. Housing built with tax credit money is restricted by income, not profession. The district would have to find a way around that.
"If we answer no under this model, it's out," Peterson said during the work session.
In addition, if the housing is for teachers at lower salary levels, what happens as they gain experience and salary range over the years? Do they get evicted? And what about teachers that leave the district for other jobs?
All of it has to be figured, but Kane hopes to work on it as one answer to a very big problem of recruiting and retaining teachers.
"The one presented tonight is a creative solution," Kane said, "but we are looking at all solutions when it comes to figuring out how we can help our teachers and staff."