ARCADIA, Fla. — Six acres of land in Arcadia could transform into workforce housing for teachers and staff with Desoto County Schools.
"We really just want to have housing that we can take care of our school district employees that are in need of it, and then open it up to first responders," said Superintendent of DeSoto County Schools Dr. Bobby Bennett.
Bennett told Arcadia Community Correspondent Victoria Scott that keeping teachers is one of the biggest issues the district is facing.
You can watch Victoria's full report here:
"Right now, we have 126 teachers, and that's approximate," Bennett said. "That's a fluid number that lives outside of DeSoto County."
The superintendent told Scott many of those teachers are dealing with higher gas prices and rent.
"Imagine that you're driving from Bradenton, or Sarasota, or Fort Myers, or even Charlotte County," he said. "It's a considerable commute. You're paying a pretty high rate for an apartment."
So, a proposed workforce housing plan presented by One Stop Housing was discussed at a workshop.
The preliminary plan includes 72 apartments near Nocatee Elementary School. Rent could range between $750 and $1,400.
It's something Arcadia resident Amy Marrero said is greatly needed.
"We have to do something to make ourselves more attractive to teachers to retain them," Marrero told Scott. "If they could keep more teachers here, I think you'll see more positive influence on the children. I mean, teachers are so important to children."
President of the Desoto County Educators Association Jerry Mead also gave insight.
He spoke for himself and not on behalf of the association.
"The best way to provide a high-quality education to students, is to put a high-quality teacher in place," Mead said. "If they're changing every two or three years, you can't do it."
It's all a starting point of discussion.
