Park Record, December 16, 2022--
Schools in Utah have been struggling to attract and retain employees amid high housing costs, a low unemployment rate and competition from neighboring districts — and Summit County is no exception.
South Summit School District Superintendent Greg Maughan said schools are facing tough times as fewer people are studying to become teachers and more people in the field are heading toward retirement. The School District, in response, is pursuing innovative solutions to help address the problem, by stepping into the development realm.
The district already owns two homes set aside for its teachers, with one already occupied and the other recently remodeled. South Summit is also considering building more residences on property north of the district office as a way to tackle the affordable housing crisis as well as the need for teachers on the East Side, according to Maughan.
“Districts across the state, and across the nation, really, are facing tough times as far as finding people who want to teach,” he said.
Maughan said South Summit has kicked around the idea for a long time as a housing solution. The School District used to provide housing for the superintendent back in the 1960s, although it no longer does. Over the last year, housing, primarily for teachers, has become a higher priority.
While one of the district’s homes is already occupied by a teacher, Maughan anticipates an application process for the vacant property will open soon with a move-in date sometime in January. Teachers are given priority with full-time classified employees second and administrators third. Selections are also made based on household income and the number of people living in the home.
“We know that we lose teachers to other districts because of the cost to commute. As far as affordability goes, we know there aren’t that many rentals in the Kamas Valley and when there are, they tend to be out of a teacher’s price range,” he said. “It really is something that we’re trying to tackle systemically to help provide those opportunities.”
Maughan continued, “It’s an emotionally tough place to be because there’s such a need and we just have limited supply.”
The low housing stock prompted the School District to seek out a company that would help facilitate a study about what’s needed in the community and what type of housing would work best. The information was then presented to the South Summit Board of Education, which is now preparing to issue a request for proposal to find a developer.
Administrators have been reviewing district-owned properties and decided the best place to start would be land north of the district office, according to Maughan. It’s possible that duplex or townhouse-style residences as well as several single-family homes would be constructed there. South Summit collaborated with Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, which created mockups for various options. The number of units is ultimately based on where residences are placed.
“It’s not like this is a subdivision that’s going to be going in real fast and all of a sudden you have all of these places available. This is probably going to be a phased project,” he said.
Maughan added that there aren’t a lot of examples of school districts owning and operating housing for employees so South Summit has been learning along the way.
The average home in the Kamas Valley is around $1.6 million, which isn’t feasible for many teachers. Many teachers commute, as a result, passing through several other districts on the way to work. Without intervention, Maughan fears they’ll lose quality employees.
He estimates the district receives about two applications per job posting compared to 10 in the past. There’s an elementary school counselor position that’s been listed for two months. And the shortage isn’t just with full-time employees. The School District is struggling to find substitute teachers, bus drivers and paraprofessionals.
“Our kids need and deserve the best teachers. This is not just a pay-thing. People would like to live in the community that they teach in, and we want that,” he said.
Maughan said the School District didn’t go into this wanting to be a landlord. Officials are considering both rental options and ways to allow the occupants to purchase the homes. Many of the properties would be deed-restricted, which will ensure they continue to address the district’s needs in the future.
The South Summit Board of Education in October also passed a mortgage assistance program that provides up to $15,000 for down payments. The School District has several safeguards in place should an employee leave the district before 10 years, including requiring the individual to pay a prorated portion back.
The School District has taken other measures to attract employees such as excellent benefits and small class sizes. It is also considering raises as it goes through the budgeting process.
“There is a focus on meeting those needs of the kids, but we are seeing the highlight of needs from the adults now that maybe we didn’t see as much before,” Maughan said.