Low teacher salaries in Cape

When I was winding down my first year of teaching I was faced with two decisions. Would I teach another year? Where would I teach next?

I decided that I would indeed give it another year, but I did contemplate moving districts. I immediately thought of returning to my hometown to teach and started looking up opportunities to do so. In my research, I discovered that I would not be able to afford the same size apartment, have the same level insurance benefits or even come close to living the same lifestyle on the salary offered by my hometown district in Cape Girardeau. The Cape Girardeau School District has some of the lowest starting teacher salaries for a district of its size.

Despite popular belief, the cost of living in Cape Girardeau is not significantly lower than that of Kansas City or St. Louis. I knew from a few Internet searches that I would not and could not live and work in my hometown as long as I was a single-income household.

Perhaps my standard of living is too high or my money-management abilities aren't sharp enough. Perhaps the Cape Girardeau School District has lost out on a great teacher. I'm not here to sing my own praises, but I know that I am not the only young, creative, passionate teacher who has chosen to not work in the Cape Girardeau district because of the starting pay alone. I didn't even bother to apply.

JENNA RUSSELL, Kansas City, Mo.