Personnel shortages were discussed at a special meeting of the Washington Community School Board last week.

Superintendent Willie Stone presented the board a list of the teacher shortage areas in Iowa, with endorsements including industrial technology, family and consumer sciences, world languages, agriculture, business, social studies, and early childhood education, “What I’m asking the board to do is to allow us to give incentive dollars up to $5,000 at the superintendent’s discretion for these areas so that we’re able to get people in, and this is something honestly that we’re losing people because other districts are doing it and we’re not able to meet that.”

Stone added that he doesn’t usually like to “play keep up with the Joneses,” but the district is currently struggling to fill multiple special education positions. The $5,000 would be given to new hires in those hard to fill areas over two years. The board approved the proposal.