Grants aim to bolster art programs, teacher recruitment and retention in rural schools

Carly Flandro | 09/10/2024

Idaho educators and leaders in rural schools are invited this month to apply for two grants — one to defray teachers’ educational costs, the other to support art programs.

The rural and underserved educator incentive grants provide qualifying teachers with up to $12,000 over four years to pay off school loans, or for other eligible costs such as additional degrees, advanced degrees, or career technical certifications. Funding is available for 250 applicants this year.

To qualify for the grant, teachers must remain at the same school or district throughout the four-year period. “The purpose for the program is to incentivize new educators to accept teaching positions in rural and underserved schools and stay there,” according to a press release for the grants.

Learn more about the rural and underserved educator incentive program here. Learn more about the arts in rural schools grant here. Both application windows are open through Sept. 30.

Legislators created the grant in 2022, and since then, more than 1,000 educators have applied for it. In 2023, the first year awards were given, 500 teachers formed the first cohort of grantees. Each year thereafter, an additional 250 teachers will be awarded grants, as long as the Legislature continues to approve the program.

Garden Valley elementary students work on watercolor paintings.

Successful applicants for the rural arts grant will receive up to $3,500 in one-time funds for curriculum, equipment, and supplies “to support arts education programs.” These grants aim to “increase access to arts education for K-12 learners in rural public schools that otherwise may lack the resources to offer or expand such programs,” according to a State Board of Education webpage.

Qualifying rural school districts and charters can only submit one application each, and it must be submitted by leadership. This year, there are enough funds for about 70 grants.

The rural arts grants were also created by the Legislature in 2022. In 2023, the first year of the program, more than 70 school districts and charter schools received the grants, which were for as much as $15,000.

Carly Flandro

Carly Flandro reports from her hometown of Pocatello. Prior to joining EdNews, she taught English at Century High and was a reporter for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. She has won state and regional journalism awards, and her work has appeared in newspapers throughout the West. Flandro has a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and Spanish from the University of Montana, and a master’s degree in English from Idaho State University. You can email her at [email protected] or call or text her at (208) 317-4287.