Small town’s music teacher may be forced to return to Canada

It took a lot of effort to find a music teacher for the Lancaster, Minn., school system. The school in the town of 335 got one applicant. Now, immigration rules are sending her back to Canada, Valley News Live reports today.

“The shortage of teachers out there, there’s been a lot of stories in the newspapers and on TV about the shortage of teachers. We were happy with 1 applicant. Now, it’s very possible she will have to go back to Canada on February 15th,” Steve Swiontek, the superintendent of the schools, says.

Alanna Dawson’s visa is expiring and efforts by the school to use the pull of the schools congressional representatives to get the Department of Immigration to extend it haven’t worked.

Valley News Live says if Dawson were a science teacher or librarian, immigration law would let her extend her visa.