This study examined the effects of strategic teacher compensation on the retention of teachers in a voluntary participation plan, especially the participation of hard-to-staff special education, high school mathematics, high school science, and high school language teachers. The first research question conducted a one-way chi-square analysis to determine if the observed retention rates of highly effective teachers were significantly different compared to the retention rates of highly effective teachers who elected to remain compensated by the traditional salary schedule. The study found no significant difference in the retention of highly effective teachers who were compensated by the district's new strategic compensation plan compared to the retention of highly effective teachers who elected to remain compensated by the traditional salary schedule. The second research question conducted a one-way chi-square analysis to examine strategic compensation plan favorability among hard-to-staff special education, high school mathematics, high school science, and high school language teachers; it examined the voluntary strategic plan participation of hard-to-staff teachers compared to the voluntary strategic plan participation of non-hard-to-staff teachers. The study's results revealed inconclusive findings between voluntary strategic compensation plan participation rates and hard-to-staff and non-hard-to-staff teachers, therefore concluding that the district's strategic compensation plan was no more favorable to hard-to-staff teachers than to non-hard-to-staff teachers.