Liberty County is not immune to a nationwide teacher shortage, officials said, and the school system is looking at ways to recruit and retain teachers.

While teacher attrition rates in the county are lower than those for the state, there are several specialties where the district needs more teachers. Many vacancies, school system officials point out, remain in the critical shortage areas of math, science and special education.

The school system has had a sign-on bonus of $7,500 to those with full certification in those areas and is looking to continue that supplement.

Board members also discussed providing some of the money up front instead of at the end of the year for the teachers to help with the recruitment.

Chair Verdell Jones said doing that could help new teachers find suitable housing.

“The cost of moving is getting bad,” she said. “Rentals are at an all-time high and they are hard to find. I think we have to be a little bit creative since we’re putting the money out there anyway. We want to attract highly qualified people to the district.”

For teachers who have provisional certification in the critical shortage areas of math, science and special education, a $3,500 supplement is being considered. The supplement will be paid in two installments during the first year on the job, and teachers who receive the supplement are expected to remain with the school system for three years.

Teachers in other fields, who are fully certified, get a $2,000 supplement for signing on with Liberty County schools. Those with provisional certification are eligible for a $1,000 sign-on bonus. Those teachers are expected to complete two years with the school system.

Those supplements would be paid over two years.

Teachers who leave before their time requirement is up face having to repay the bonuses.

School system officials project the total cost of the supplements to be $600,000.