Northern Manitoba school division struggling with teacher shortage, increasing incentives

The head of Manitoba's northernmost school division says it continues to struggle with staffing shortages and is spending roughly a million dollars trying to recruit and pay teachers incentives to work in the area. 

The Frontier School Division, which has 42 schools in remote areas of northern Manitoba, is offering new teaching graduates a $10,000 incentive each year for up to three consecutive years.

Eligible teachers who got their bachelor of education degree in the 2021, 2022 or 2023 calendar years will receive a recruitment incentive payment per school year.

"The $10,000, is in addition to salary that we will pay a new graduate in June after they've worked for us for the year," said chief superintendent said Reg Klassen. "We do know that it is having some impact."

The incentive is double the signing bonus the division previously offered.

Last year, the division hired a full-time recruiter who travels the country. It launched an ad campaign in an attempt to curb its staffing shortage.

"I think by the end of the [2024] school year, when we look at all of the incentives and we look at all of the salary we've paid and all of the travel for recruiting …  we're going to be nearing $1 million," said Klassen.

Klassen said the division has struggled with filling positions over the years. Last year, it was roughly 45 teachers short to start the school year and was never able to fill 20 of the openings.

This year, 34 positions are still vacant in places such as Gillam, about 740 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, and Leaf Rapids, about 750 kilometres north of the capital.

"It's hard, it's difficult, it's challenging," said Klassen. "We have to fill those teaching positions with people that are available and that's usually with a person who doesn't have a teaching degree."

Klassen said that often means one or two educational assistants end up having to a manage the classroom until they can find a teacher. 

He said many of the schools are in remote locations, which adds to the challenge of finding qualified people as some are hesitant to move to the north.

"There's a reluctance because there's an unknown element to it. If you grow up in a large urban centre it's [not something] you're accustomed to," he said. "Going to a small community, that seems very far away and very remote."

He said the division may need to expand its search in coming years.