New immigration fee will hurt rural schools relying on international teachers

Sequoia Carrillo reported from Hardin, Montana for NPR on a school system's heavy reliance on teachers from the Philippines and what that reliance means given the new Trump administration rule requiring a $100,000 fee for each H-1B visa application.  Here's an excerpt from Carrillo's story:  

Hardin, like many rural districts, relies on international teachers to fill out its staff. Out of 150 teachers in the district, about 30 are in the U.S. on teaching visas. Many are on short-term J1 visas, with hopes to one day graduate to the longer-term H-1B visa.

Now, things are about to get even tougher — for the district and for teachers like Tomimbang [who has taught middle school math in Montana for four years after doing so for 18 years in the Philippines]..

Last month, President Trump unveiled a plan that requires employers pay a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas. In his announcement, Trump specifically called out high-paying tech jobs that he said were filled by too many foreign workers.

However, the impact on schools and educators will be significant. According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, more than 20,000 educators are in the country on H-1B visas — the third most common occupation group for the program.

"I don't have a teacher in my district that makes $100,000 a year," [Hardin school superintendent Tobin] Novasio says. For school districts, "to pay that fee on top of a salary is just gonna kill the H-1B for education."

The change is a blow to some districts' long-term strategy to keep teachers in classrooms.

More relevant context fron superintendent Novasio:  

"We don't have candidates." ... Earlier in his career, [Novasio] says that if he posted an elementary teacher position, at least 20 people would apply. Now, "if we get two, we're ecstatic."