Amid nationwide teacher shortage, small Nebraska district has 25 resignations in one year

FAIRBURY, Neb. (KLKN) – A small-town Nebraska school district is getting creative to fill 25 resignations.

Fairbury Public Schools Superintendent Devin Embray said it’s difficult to compete with bigger districts, especially when surrounding states are raising the starting salary for teachers.

“Every school district in Iowa is starting at $50,000,” Embray said. “Whereas next year, LPS and OPS are probably the only school districts in Nebraska that are at that level.”

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He said one of the challenges is convincing people to stay long-term.

“We really think about, ‘How do we make Jefferson County — Fairbury, Nebraska — a destination place versus a stepping stone?'” Embray said.

The district is also dealing with a large number of resignations this year.

“We’re sitting at 25 here, and we’re normally in the low teens,” he said. “Fortunately, we have about 20, 21 filled out of those.”

Embray said several teachers are retiring, some disagree with the direction the district is moving in, and many are just moving on to a bigger opportunity.

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Fairbury is trying to increase benefits, like offering full family insurance at no cost and adjusting paid time off opportunities.

But it’s not just compensation that’s making it difficult in rural Nebraska.

Embray said fewer people are going into teaching because of the environment around education right now.

“We don’t necessarily have the public support for public education like we used to have,” he said.

But he said it will take the entire community, state and nation to make real change when it comes to the shortage of teachers.

“We hope our community responds in a way that is supportive of what we do,” he said.