Eureka Elementary School District - Eureka, California

Eureka, California is a mid-sized community outside of the state capitol, Sacramento. Assistant Superintendent, Rick Schrichfield, of the Eureka Elementary School District was concerned about the shortage and turnover among the district special education professionals, including speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, and special education teachers.

He proposed to the district superintendent and board of education that the district offer a stipend to attract and retain special education personnel. In his presentation he noted the high rate of attrition among special education professionals, difficulty finding qualified applicants and cited the expectation of parents who demanded not only continuity of resources but also highly trained personnel.
He presented his proposal and data to the union bargaining committee and his hard work eventually paid off with a $1000 - $3000 annual stipend for all special education personnel. Enacted in July, 2005 the stipend was retroactive to the previous year and up to 9 years of previous experience was credited to eligible professionals.

Eureka Elementary employs 200 teachers and 40 related service and special education personnel. While overall enrollment is declining, special education numbers are rising, particularly for children identified on the autism spectrum.

Results: Although Eureka like many other districts continues to experience a shortage of qualified special education personnel, the stipend has helped to raise awareness, increase the number of qualified applicants for vacant positions and has reduced the turnover rate.

For more information on this successful program, contact assistant superintendent Schrichfield at rschrichfield@eureka-usd.k12.ca.us