The Gallup-McKinley County Schools district is offering an incentive package worth more than $25,000 in bonuses to attract more educators.

“We are constantly looking at better ways at recruiting and retaining staff and teachers, and so, it’s an ongoing effort and we are making adjustments every single year in what we are going to do that year and what we find is going to be effective,” Gallup-McKinley County Schools Superintendent Mike Hyatt told KRQE.

The superintendent said the incentive offered last year of $5,000 wasn’t enough to lure teachers to their district. With the help of pandemic relief funds, the hiring bonus increased from $18,000 to $22,000 on Nov. 29. Also, included in the incentives is a moving expense of up to $2,500 as well as free teacher housing.

“Those are due to various reasons for people leaving or the teacher may not have been a good fit or we may have had to make staffing adjustments due to the increase or changes in student populations in different areas of our district,” Hyatt said.

The district will extend its offer for the hiring bonus through Feb. 24. So far, 96 teachers in the district have taken advantage of the opportunity.

“We have to be strategic in how we attract and offer opportunities for them that we may not find in a metropolitan area, and so, there are a lot of opportunities in a rural setting,” Hyatt said. “But it’s not a fit for everybody, and so we have to find those people that’s a good fit for our students.”