Fairfax County teachers largely can鈥檛 afford to rent or buy a house near the school where they teach, according to .
The report said Virginia鈥檚 largest school district is one of the Top 10 least affordable places in the nation when it comes to new teachers and housing.
The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment takes about 42% of the salary of a new teacher with a bachelor鈥檚 degree, the analysis said. It considered data from 72 urban school districts across the U.S.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to attract and retain great teachers when they can鈥檛 afford to pay rent or a mortgage,鈥� NCTQ President Heather Peske said.
Since 2019, Peske said home prices in Fairfax County have increased 37% and rent has gone up 41%. But teacher salaries, she said, have only increased 16% over that period.
鈥淲hat this means is that there鈥檚 a widening gap between teacher salaries and the cost of housing, meaning that it鈥檚 increasingly more difficult for teachers to buy a house or be able to rent in Fairfax County,鈥� Peske said.
As a result, they鈥檙e more likely to live outside of the school division, which means a 鈥渓onger commute, less contact with the students and families they鈥檙e teaching, and generally, more negative impacts on teachers, which increases the likelihood that they鈥檒l leave the district and try to teach in places closer to their homes.鈥�
Fairfax County is 鈥渙ne of the most rent-burdened districts in our sample,” Peske added.
However, the school district does have partnerships that help create affordable housing opportunities for employees.
Increasing salaries overall is one approach to addressing the challenge, but Peske said increasing salaries in the areas with “the greatest shortage” within the school division could also be effective. It鈥檚 likely to be teachers who work with either students with disabilities or English language learners, she said.
鈥淗ousing costs are rising much faster than beginning teacher salaries, and that means that this shrinks teachers鈥� purchasing power, even after they鈥檝e had salary increases,鈥� Peske said.
In Baltimore, Peske said it takes a beginning teacher with a bachelor鈥檚 degree 32% of their salary to pay for rent. New teachers in Anne Arundel County Public Schools spent 32% on rent too.
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