Military housing rentals offered to Hawaii school teachers

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Department of Education has launched a new program allowing teachers to live in military rental housing, an official said.

The initiative is aimed at addressing the problem of retaining and recruiting teachers, Hawaii Public Radio reported Wednesday.

Education officials approached the military during a forum about opportunities for teacher housing, said Cynthia Covell of the department’s Office of Talent Management.

The department partnered with Island Palm Communities, a private company that leases military homes.

Public school teachers can apply to live in military housing at the U.S. Army’s Schofield Barracks on Oahu.

Rent would be $2,500 per month for two-bedroom house s and $2,600 for three-bedroom home s.

“These are full homes with garages,” Covell said, adding that the rent “covers utilities and all the amenities on the base.”

“So they get a base access pass, which grants them free entry into the fitness centers,” Covell said. “They can actually shop at the base facilities, except for the commissaries.”

Single teachers could share the houses to reduce rental costs, Covell said.

An education department study found the state’s high cost of living is one of the greatest challenges for staffing public schools.

“Housing is tight for everybody that works here in the state,” Covell said. “Whatever we could do to help them in that area is good for recruiting and retention.”