Kansas teacher vacancies declined 9.1% this spring, with the Kansas State Department of Education reporting 1,588 open positions statewide for accredited K-12 schools in spring 2026, down from 1,747 in fall 2025. The drop reflects more students staff could fill, including hard-to-cover roles in special education, science, math, and elementary classrooms, according to state officials.
State officials also said the share of teaching slots with no applicants has been falling: districts reported 423 positions with no one applying in spring 2026, compared with 521 in fall 2025 and 640 in fall 2024. Special education remained the most challenging area for hiring, though reported vacancies there decreased from 414 last fall to 378 this spring. Elementary vacancies also fell, from 390 last fall to 344 this spring.
In addition to vacancy updates, state educators data highlighted retention trends across the 2025-2026 school year. State officials reported that 87.9% of educators were retained as employees of their districts in 2025-2026. The briefing also noted changes tied to salaries and staffing: first-year teachers averaged $46,407 and the average teacher salary was $70,240, with both figures rising from the prior year. The Kansas State Board of Education received the overview during its Tuesday briefing. (Source: Iola Register.)