A recent survey of Durango School District staff confirmed that the district could lose good teachers because they can't find affordable housing. You're watching the Local News Network brought to you by Dunkin' Donuts and Serious Texas Bar-B-Q. I'm Sadie Smith. According to a survey conducted last February, 69% of educators said they would stay in their positions longer if workforce housing were available. 46% reported that housing instability negatively affects their attitude at work, and 57% said they would consider leaving for a district that offers workforce housing. Younger staff, single employees and single parents were the most distressed about their housing situation. In response, the district will move forward with a housing initiative. The district has hired a housing consultant to explore partnerships with the city, developers and the State of Colorado to use some of the revenue from the 2024 bond referendum to develop affordable housing for district employees.

I think you have an intersection of two problems at the same time. One, we have low income, comparatively speaking, in an expensive place, plus a high cost of housing. So when you have those two intersections, of course, you're going to have people that want to leave. It's the common conversation that I have with colleagues either in Durango who work for 9-R or colleagues who have left to go to Aztec or to Bayfield.

Gabriella Gething is an educator who has been priced out of living in Durango. She commutes every day from Aztec to Needham and Riverview Elementary as a preschool enrichment teacher. She also commutes her own children who attend school in the 9-R District.

Even though me and my husband have good jobs, and we just aren't willing to use as much of that percentage of what we get paid to for rent, we'd rather spend it in other places. So the challenges for us have been that we've had to move to Aztec so that we could afford a house that fits us all, and then we drive every single day.

While educators described their work experiences as largely positive, the high cost of living has forced many out of the profession or out of the area.

I've personally known a number of people who used to work as teachers, and are dynamic teachers, who have walked away just because they couldn't afford to continue teaching.

To address the issue, Durango School District plans to invest 20 million to develop workforce housing for educators and staff. The funds are part of the voter-approved 2024 bond referendum that generated $150 million in revenue.

There's a quote that's probably been quoted by numerous people that I will paraphrase, but the measure of a society is the way in which we support our educators. And I believe that we can have a really healthy society. I think that we've experienced some turmoil and are currently experiencing turmoil nationally, perhaps locally, and there's a lot of polarization. And I think one thing that we can agree on is that our children are our future, and if we can support them, then we're really doing the right thing.

Durango School District chief information officer Chris Coleman said survey results were higher than expected, reaffirming why housing was included in the bond. He says the district plans to stretch its dollars to support as many staff members as possible to retain quality educators and ensure student success. Find more information about this and other stories at durangolocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Network. I'm Sadie Smith.