RE-1 Valley schools seek teachers, principals, specialists for 2026-27

A principal vacancy at Sterling High School sits at the center of RE-1 Valley’s latest hiring push, and it is not the only sign the district is trying to cover more than a few stray openings for 2026-27.

The district is advertising a wide slate of full-time positions, including a high school principal in Sterling, an academic advisor in Iliff, a social emotional learning specialist, secondary science and social studies teachers, a fourth-grade teacher for Caliche in Iliff, an early childhood special education teacher, a band teacher, an art teacher and a SmartLab facilitator. Salary ranges run from the mid-$40,000s to more than $90,000, with the principal post listed between $93,500 and $136,212.

That spread matters because it points to a district trying to staff the backbone of daily school life, not just patch a single absence. If RE-1 Valley cannot fill classroom jobs, families could see more split assignments, substitute coverage and larger pressure on remaining teachers. If the district struggles to hire the academic advisor in Iliff, students could feel it in graduation planning, course selection and college or career readiness. Openings in early childhood special education, social emotional learning, band, art and SmartLab also signal the risk of thinner student supports and fewer enrichment options.

RE-1 Valley serves 1,913 students across six schools, according to the Colorado Department of Education, which describes the district as rural on Colorado’s Northeastern Plains along the Platte River. The district’s local context adds to the challenge: Sterling Correctional Facility is a major employer, and nearby small districts in Fleming, Haxtun, Prairie, Merino and Peetz sit within roughly 20 to 30 miles, all competing for the same limited pool of teachers and administrators.

The statewide backdrop is just as stark. Colorado’s educator shortage survey reported 7,792 teacher positions needed to be filled in 2024-25, and rural and small-rural areas had a 6.92% shortage rate. A February 2026 9NEWS report said Colorado had about 2,800 teacher vacancies in the prior school year, with about 600 never filled. Rural-education advocates say lower wages than metro districts and fewer teacher-candidate pipelines continue to leave small districts at a disadvantage.

RE-1 Valley’s own public materials show the district is leaning on recruitment tools, including an equal-opportunity employment statement and a Frontline recruitment portal. The district’s website also promoted a March 6 Hat Day for the Homeless fundraiser for its McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Fund, a reminder that staffing gaps land in schools serving students with a wide range of needs.

At a Nov. 17, 2025 board meeting, district leaders praised principals and acknowledged the growing demands placed on educators while staff discussed budget and insurance pressures. Against that backdrop, the open positions in Sterling, Iliff and Caliche look less like routine hiring and more like a warning sign for how hard it may be to preserve a full program for Logan County families in 2026-27.