Attracting teachers, other workers takes a community effort

Like most major employers, McCook Public Schools is struggling to find workers.

The school has had some success attending six recruiting fairs this year but is trying to “widen our net to attract talent to McCook to teach,” according to information on the agenda for Monday’s school board meeting.

Several positions are still unfilled, and with an abundance of possible candidates there, the school is looking into recruiting teachers internationally.

Additionally, the school may hire teachers “outside of their endorsed area when it is clear no other options are available.”

There’s always room for improvement, but our local schools are something McCook can be proud of, and maintaining that quality is something we should all support.

It’s not just the schools, of course. Our front page is full of stories about the efforts of the City of McCook, Red Willow County, McCook Economic Development Corp., Chamber of Commerce, McCook Community Foundation Fund and major employers like Community Hospital, Valmont, Parker Hannifin and others to make McCook, Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas attractive places to live, work and play, to borrow a Chamber of Commerce slogan.

The voters have also done their part, of course, approving a half-cent sales tax hike to make a new swimming pool and ball complex possible.

The need to offer competitive salaries goes without say. It’s all too easy for qualified candidates to look no further than the salary offered.

The availability of affordable housing and daycare are other deal-breakers for today’s young families.

The chance to grow professionally should always be part of the consideration for educators and in other professions, and McCook Community College can offer a leg up.

One area where McCook shines is the idea of creating a supportive community, where teachers and other workers feel they are valued and welcomed. Local churches and other civic organizations can play a key part in attracting and retaining professionals by bringing people together.

The tourism slogan “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone” has had plenty of detractors, but it has a ring of truth.

Our lower cost of living, slower pace of life, commute times measured in minutes rather than hours and sense of community can be attractive to both people who grew up in small towns and to people ready to take a break from big-city life.

Those factors make it likely that teachers and other workers we attract will fit in just fine.

On the other hand, it’s exciting to think our community has the chance to be enriched by new residents that can bring an entirely new perspective about a way of life we take for granted.