Northwest Iowa — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has announced recipient schools of the Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Pilot Grant Program, which she unveiled during her Condition of the State Address in January.
The Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Pilot Program grants will serve more than 1,000 paraeducators and students in 134 schools ultimately creating over 500 new paraeducators and 500 new teachers. Of these, 110 recipients are creating the first-ever registered apprenticeship programs in their schools. A total of $45.6 million will be granted towards the program.
The grant recipient group in our area is headed by M-OC-Floyd Valley Schools, who will share nearly $6.3-million with its partner school districts; Boyden-Hull, Central Lyon, Emmetsburg, George-Little Rock, Okoboji, Sheldon, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Rock Valley, Sibley-Ocheyedan, Sioux Center, South O’Brien, West Lyon and West Sioux.
The grant program will provide opportunities for current high school students and adults to earn a paraeducator certificate and associates degree and paraeducators to earn their bachelor’s degree all while learning and working in the classroom. The program will begin this fall during the 2022-2023 school year.
The program is designed to help relieve the current teacher shortage in Iowa classrooms.
For more information on the program CLICK HERE.
