The State of Iowa shall establish a competitive grant program within the Department of Education to assist public school districts, with priority for rural districts and schools facing persistent vacancies in special education, science, mathematics, career and technical education, and other hard-to-staff subject areas, in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers. Grant funds may be used for signing incentives, student loan repayment assistance, teacher residency partnerships, relocation support, and retention stipends tied to continued service, and participating districts shall provide matching funds where practicable and report annually on vacancy rates, teacher retention, and program outcomes to ensure responsible use of state dollars and stronger, more stable local schools.