A central Kentucky school district has devised its own plan to fight the teacher shortage.

It's giving students money to become certified teachers.

As our Laura Rogers tells us, Hardin County schools will offer financial aid to graduates going into teacher education programs as long as they promise to bring their talents back home.

Okay.

Anybody else?

Like so many across the state and nation, Hardin County schools has felt the pinch of the teacher shortage, most recently with 14 open positions.

We saw this happening years ago.

What we didn't anticipate is getting to this level of an emergency this soon.

The school district now providing an incentive for high school graduates who want to become teachers to return to the classroom where they were once a student.

Anything else?

Our district is going to pay one third of the tuition up to $350 per class.

Western Kentucky University will match that, meaning the student will only have to cover one third of the tuition to become a certified teacher.

This is just Hardin County's way of encouraging our best students to go into the teaching field.

Students like Lee, right?

I always knew I kind of wanted to go into education.

Maybe both my parents are in education, so I was kind of always in the back of my mind.

Right.

Will attend WQ in the fall majoring in elementary education.

Being able to have such an impact on students and just know that like you might just be the one thing they need to get through the day or your smile might just lie a third day.

So why do you think that's true?

There's an added bonus for those who want to teach middle or high school math or science.

Because those positions are so difficult to compete with industry for.

We are actually going to pay half of their tuition.

And western Kentucky is going to match half of their tuition.

So basically you are going to go to school for free if you're majoring in math or science, middle or high school.

Under the funds come from a federal grant.

Morgan says the school district sees it as an investment in the future.

We want them to come back and be the best teachers they can be because we know they already have that passion to be an educator.

And we know they'll do a phenomenal job when they come back to the classroom.

Here in Hardin County.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Okay.

Why did you pick?

Thank you, Laura.

In exchange, the student agrees to come back and teach at least three years in Hardin County schools.

The scholarships can be applied at any postsecondary school in Kentucky.

The contribution could cover as much as 20 $100 for one semester of education classes.