USD 257’s growing para-to-teacher program continues to gain momentum, bolstered this year by a $300,000 Patterson Family Foundation grant that is helping district employees pursue their teaching degrees.
Curriculum Director Jenna Higginbotham said program helps the district fill teaching slots and build long-term stability.
“In southeast Kansas, we need to grow our own,” she said, of the competitive market to find teachers.
This year, 18 district employees are working toward teacher certification through the tuition reimbursement program. Despite the program’s name, participants are not exclusively paraprofessionals.
“Sometimes they were paraprofessionals at one point, or they were substitutes in our district, or community members that were passionate volunteers,” said Higginbotham.
The pathway also supports teachers who entered the classroom before earning licensure.
“A lot of the applicants doing the paras-to-teacher program are already in a classroom teaching,” Higginbotham said.
Of the 18 employees pursuing teacher certification, two are paraprofessionals. The group spans every USD 257 building with nine at the elementary school, five at the middle school, and four at the high school.
IN MAY, USD 257 applied for a $300,000 Patterson Family Foundation grant — double the amount of the district’s previous award. The district received word in August that it had been fully funded.
“All of our employees are able to apply for tuition reimbursement,” Higginbotham said. This includes not only those seeking initial teaching certification, but also five additional teachers pursuing master’s degrees.
The district originally planned to budget the grant at $100,000 per year for three years. But when word of the Patterson grant was released, demand surged immediately.
“This semester alone, almost $60,000 was requested,” Higginbotham said. To ensure the funding lasts, USD 257 may soon adjust reimbursement levels. While employees received 100% reimbursement this semester, Higginbotham anticipates reducing the amount slightly.
“We might have to drop it down to 90% going forward, so that we can stretch the funding further,” she said. She added that the district does not expect board action to be required for the change, as the reimbursement system has always allowed for full or partial reimbursement depending on available funding.
TO QUALIFY, employees must work for USD 257, enroll in an education-related degree program, and provide proof of enrollment and course completion.
“For example, I couldn’t try to get a master’s in business. It has to be in education,” she said.
Though the reimbursement program began only in Fall 2023, nine participants have already earned their teaching degrees. Every employee who has received reimbursement so far has stayed with the district.
