Highland College’s teacher shortage solution in jeopardy as pandemic relief funding ends

FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — Teachers are in high demand due to a nationwide shortage.

A 2024 survey from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools found that 90% of schools reported having a “serious” or “very serious” shortage of teachers.

An Illinois Educator Shortage Survey revealed the shortages due to multiple factors, including unrealistic expectations on educators and schools; unsafe work environments; years of deprofessionalizing the field through inadequate pay; and unstable retirement benefits.

Freeport’s Highland Community College is hoping to tackle the shortage by encouraging current students to consider a career in early education, with money appropriated from COVID-19-era federal grants.

However, the pandemic relief funding is soon coming to an end, putting the effort in jeopardy.

The college used money from the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity to provide students with computers, guest speakers, and a modern classroom.

“When they have an opportunity to see the equipment and actually equipment themselves, they see the possibilities. They see the possibilities of what they can do,” said faculty coordinator Melissa Johnson.

In addition, the college was able to help students, financially.

“We’ve been able to use funds to alleviate student debt,” Johnson added. “So, sometimes, when students, especially if they’re young and getting started, and something happened and then they had debts to the college, we were able to relieve some of those, millions of those debts.”

Rachel Stewart, the program’s mentor-coach, said the investments have made an immediate impact.

“We’ve not only seen 150% enrollment increase, but we’ve had retention. Our retention is there. Students are interested. It’s the talk of the community,” she said. “Word of mouth is huge. I never even really had to step out and say, ‘Hey, would you like a job? Would you like to come back to school?’ Because students were already talking. It was the buzz.”

With momentum rolling, the program is shifting its focus to maintaining its progress in the face of dwindling funds.

“I would love to see the state continue this scholarship,” Johnson said. “That’s something that’s in jeopardy. The students are begging, because these funds, that we had for the past two years, have been through COVID relief funds that the state applied for. So now we’re trying to sustain it.”

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