ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — A bill in the Howard County Council passed Monday night would establish a program help pay student loans for new teachers, and teachers who have served in Howard County schools for a certain period of time.
The measure, approved at the county council's Monday night meeting, comes with a few stipulations: teachers would need at least five years served in the district or commit to the district for 5 years, having not defaulted on their loans.
The county will set aside $1.5 million over the next five years, or $300,000 a year.
"I think it’s a tool in an ever expanding toolbox that we need,” said Colleen Morris, head of the Howard County Education Association.
Morris, whose organization represents the district's teachers, is generally supportive but is waiting to see how it all will work in practice.
"We are competing for a very small pool of candidates - and so anything we can do to make Howard County more attractive, we are hoping we can do," Morris added.
Howard County schools are dealing with around 50 vacancies right now, according to a HCPSS spokesperson.
"Not only are we competing with other jurisdictions but with other professions," Calvin Ball, the Howard County Executive, told WMAR.
With the bill's passing, Ball's office will enter an MOU with HCPSS to clarify the process for applying and distriubting the loan assistance.
"We want to make sure we remove any barriers to doing what is their purpose - what is their calling," said Ball. "So we are very hopeful that this will not only help recruit but retain our best and brightest."
Lawmakers introduced the bill in the Howard County Council roughly a month ago, but the county’s plans to put this into action date back to 2018 - when their state delegation in Annapolis authorized the county to do this.
The measure will sunset after five years but could be extended.
