Rural SC school district prepares to offer teachers affordable housing

WINNSBORO, SC (WOLO) — Recruiting teachers anywhere in the country is proving a challenge at the moment.

One rural South Carolina school district is taking an innovative approach to solving the problem.

“When I began to think about the challenges of recruiting in rural communities, quite honestly I just started researching what other people around  the country are doing,” said Dr. J.R. Green, Fairfield County superintendent. 

Modeling an idea he saw work in North Carolina, Dr. Green proposed a way of providing affordable housing in Winnsboro for the school district’s teachers.

Construction crews have broken ground on a teacher village consisting of dozens of homes.

“Both style homes will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms,” said Dr. Sue Rex, FCSD Education Foundation chair. “The one-story home will rent to certified teachers for 700 a month.” 

Fairfield County’s superintendent hopes the housing project will help recruit new teachers. 

“We have to really work hard to attract people to come to rural communities,” Green said. “That’s why this initiative can be a model for rural communities not just in South Carolina but across the community. You can attract people to become part of your community.”

Dr. Green said the district is focused not only on filling teacher vacancies but also retaining the teachers they recruit.

“When you look at how much turnover we have year to year, I hope this project substantially reduces that,” the superintendent. “We are able to recruit people but if they have stable housing, they are much more likely to stay with us.”

One of the goals of the teacher village is to not just get teachers living in Winnsboro but also spending their money in Fairfield County.

“When those people live here, they spend their money here,” Green said. “They go to your grocery stores, pharmacies and support the local economy.”

United Way of the Midlands has invested $600,000 into the $4 million project.

Phase One will provide 16 new homes, due to be completed next summer.

“It has taken longer than expected, but our foundation members have learned that if you want to do it right, you got to take your time,” Rex said. “That’s what we had to do.”

The teacher village has room to expand to more than 70 homes if the project receives additional funding for more phases.