Remote Recruitment and Retention Allowance

BC teachers working in remote and rural schools are eligible to receive up to $2,491.65 as an allowance as of May 1, 2019.  The remote recruitment and retention allowance benefits educators teaching in schools that are geographically isolated, remote from a major city centre, in a small community, and far removed from a major medical community.

The criteria for defining remote and rural schools are on the BCPSEA website.

Teachers working in full-time assignments receive the full amount of $2,519.  Those in part-time assignments receive a pro-rated amount, which is based on an FTE ratio.

FTE or full-time equivalent is a ratio describing one’s workload, ranging from zero to 1.0. Whereas 1.0 is a full-time position, any number below that is part-time, e.g. 0.50 FTE.

The remote and rural allowance is calculated by multiplying the FTE ratio by amount of the allowance.

For example, if a teacher is in a 0.50 FTE assignment, they would receive an allowance of $1,260 based on this calculation:

$1,260 = 0.50 FTE × $2,519.

The annual allowance is paid in monthly installments to teachers in remote and rural schools. It is not offered in every district, nor is it offered to every community within a district.