WINNSBORO, SC (WIS) – College students aren’t the only ones settling into their new homes this August.
Now that the first phase of construction is complete, Fairfield County School District teachers began moving into the new teacher village on Friday afternoon.
The new home for educators is intended to create affordable, high-quality housing options that will save many teachers working in the district the more than half-hour commute to school.
“It just shows how much Fairfield County really values its educators. Creating a community like this where educators can not only cut down on their commute time, but also come together and help each other with lesson planning and things like that,” said Kamilah Cook, a third-grade teacher at Kelly Miller Elementary.
Several teachers will begin moving into the school district’s new teacher village the week of August 2, 2024. The school district plans to have seven of the seventeen homes built furnished and occupied by Sunday, August 11, 2024.
“The support of your team, especially your district and your superintendent, means a lot to us,” said Shequila Davis, a third-grade teacher at Fairfield Elementary School, adding, “They want us to grow, they want to support us and they want the teachers to stay in the community.”
The first phase of the new housing project focuses on retaining teachers by keeping them in the same community they were taught in. Through a partnership between the school district and USC’s College of Education, the Teachers Village hopes to encourage aspiring teachers to stay in the Midlands.
Juan Alvarado is one of those teachers who discovered his passion for teaching while studying at USC. He learned about the opportunity to live and teach in Fairfield County right after he graduates in May 2024 and knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
“You take a moment and think, ‘Is this too good to be true?'” Alvarado said. “I’m grateful for the position and for taking the opportunity.”
The Teaching Village will continue to grow over time as more houses are built on the village site. Rent is controlled and is under a thousand dollars per month.
The next focus will be on the Teachers Village Technology Center, which is scheduled for completion in August 2024.
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