Ian Strever, Vice Principal, HVRHS
Ian Strever is the Assistant Principal at Housatonic Valley Regional High School. He says, “Our teachers must all have the necessary credentials required by the State. In a rural area like ours, the certification requirements further reduce the pool of potential employees. The lack of affordable housing limits us and has a serious impact on our ability to recruit and retain staff…
“While we’re one of the largest employers in the area, only a small percentage of our faculty lives in nearby towns. In the past, the majority of our faculty were part of the community. That’s no longer the case. Most have long commutes and, as a result, people leave all the time when they find jobs closer to home. One of our teachers commutes 1 ½ hours each way.
“For every person we’re able to retain, 2-3 don’t bother to apply for our jobs due to the lack of affordable housing… It’s frustrating to put a lot of time and effort into finding qualified teachers only to have them turn down job offers because they can’t find a place to live. The situation really impacts our organization. We need 1 or 2 bedroom rentals for young professionals so they can get a foothold in the community. Condos for $130,000 - $180,000 would be the next important step.”
Taylor Monico, 24, joined HVRHS faculty this year after getting her Master’s Degree from Central Connecticut State University. Taylor says, “I was looking forward to having a place of my own that I didn’t have to share with roommates… I couldn’t find any apartment rentals near the school. The rentals available were houses and much more than I could afford. As a result I’m living in Winsted, far away from my colleagues and family. I worry about the commute in winter but it’s the best place I could find on my budget.”
We all value the high quality of education that Salisbury offers. The lack of starter homes for young people contributes to HVRHS’s shrinking enrollment (2005 = 613 students; 2015 = 418). Housing struggles for their faculty should concern us all.
This article was published in The Lakeville Journal on 4/28/16.