Rural and under-resourced school districts across the United States are bracing for potential staffing disruptions as changes to the federal H-1B visa program raise the cost and uncertainty of hiring international teachers.

School leaders and experts warn that the changes could make it significantly harder for districts already struggling with teacher shortages to recruit educators in high-need subjects such as science, mathematics, and special education.

Dr. Madeline Aguillard, superintendent of the Kuspuk School District in western Alaska, said roughly 60 percent of the district’s teachers over the past five years have been international educators, filling hard-to-staff positions in math, science, and special education.

"For rural school districts like Kuspuk in western Alaska, international teachers working through programs like H-1B visas are not a convenience. They are a necessity," Agulliard told Newsweek.

The concern follows a federal rule issued by the Trump administration that imposes a $100,000 fee on new H‑1B visa petitions and introduces stricter wage requirements for employers sponsoring foreign workers, dramatically increasing the cost of bringing educators and other professionals into the United States.

The administration said the policy was intended to prevent companies from replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign labor, particularly in the technology sector.

Supporters argued the changes would reduce reliance on foreign labor and protect opportunities for U.S. workers, while critics warned the measures could worsen talent shortages, noting that there are not enough qualified Americans to fill many specialized roles and that limiting access to international professionals could undermine U.S. competitiveness in key industries.

Education officials argue that schools, unlike many private companies, rely on the visas not to cut costs but to fill positions that have proven difficult to staff domestically.

More than 2,300 educators working across 500 public school districts hold H-1B visas, according to a 2025 analysis by the National Education Association.

Although these teachers make up a small share of the national workforce, districts say they frequently occupy roles that are difficult to fill, especially in rural or economically disadvantaged communities.