Hays CISD board approves $137K for teacher certification, preparation program to help fill vacancies

The Hays CISD board of trustees approved a payment of $137,575 from the general operating budget for the Texas Teachers of Tomorrow: Lighthouse Teacher Certification and Preparation Program at the March 28 meeting to bring in more teachers to the district.

The Lighthouse Teacher Certification and Preparation Program is a “new and unconventional approach and program that is exclusively being offered to Hays CISD” and a few other districts, according to the agenda documents, and is a customized “grow your own approach to support [Hays CISD] staffing needs.”

The solicitation of the new program comes as an effort to combat the nationwide “great resignation” and to build up and support HCISD staff, Chief Human Resources Officer Fernando Medina said at the meeting.

The approved amount for the program will go toward 20 slots of certification with more than 200 hours of interactive training, test preparation and more.

"I think it's a must do; I don't know where we're going to find applicants otherwise," Trustee Will McManus said.

The Texas Teachers of Tomorrow program has about a 92% pass rate, Superintendent Eric Wright said at the meeting. He hopes that through this "highly successful" program the district will be able to "stop the bleeding" and fill all the vacancies for the upcoming school year.

Wright said he hopes the district and the teachers can reach a five-year memorandum of understanding to retain the teachers.