The superintendent of a Louisiana school board has proposed turning one of its schools into affordable housing for teachers.
WAFB reports East Baton Rouge Superintendent LaMont Cole floated the idea of renovating Westminster Elementary School into housing specifically for new educators. The concept, which would also include on-site childcare, is to reduce the financial and logistic challenges that new teachers would face when relocating to the area.
“I think that would be extremely popular or attractive for a teacher who is seeking to move here,” Cole said. “If they knew they could live in an affordable and safe location that extremely nice, with childcare on the site, I think that would allow for them to be here, be excited about living here, and then be excited about doing the work in our school system.”
Cole is currently in discussions with developers to determine the viability and costs of this type of a conversion project. However, he acknowledged that new teachers would also need a financial incentive for coming to his district.
“As we’re doing all these different things around alignment, as we’re looking at our resources, perhaps we will find a way to provide them with a raise and pay them what they deserve,” he said.
