(LEX 18) — Kentucky schools are showing significant progress in addressing staffing shortages, with 34 districts reporting no unfilled positions as of September, according to new data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
The improvement marks a dramatic increase from last year, when only one district reported having all positions filled. The 34 districts represent 20% of survey respondents, which included Kentucky's 171 school districts, the Kentucky School for the Blind, the Kentucky School for the Deaf, and the Kentucky Tech System.
Meredith Brewer, associate commissioner in KDE's Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness, presented the findings from the 2025 Kentucky Educator Shortage Survey to school superintendents during an Oct. 14 webcast.
"This survey is a way for us to provide the most accurate representation of vacancies across the Commonwealth," Brewer said.
The survey, which achieved 100% participation across all districts, revealed 2,421 total vacancies statewide. The majority of openings were classified positions at 1,621, followed by 671 certified teacher vacancies, 90 licensed educator vacancies, and 39 administrator vacancies.
Classified positions include non-teaching roles such as teaching aides, bus drivers, custodians, and food service employees that don't require teaching certification.
"These roles are essential to daily school operations, and their high vacancy rate does highlight ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining support staff across our school districts," Brewer said.
Among certified teaching positions, schools reported the greatest needs for exceptional children educators and elementary school teachers. However, Brewer noted this data can reflect the overall number of positions needed rather than just hiring difficulties.
"Vacancy numbers in a subject area are determined by two main factors: staffing challenges and the total number of positions a district will need for that role," Brewer said.
For licensed educators, school psychologists, speech pathologists, and therapists showed the highest vacancy rates.
When districts cannot find qualified candidates, they can request emergency certificates from the Education Professional Standards Board. As of Sept. 1, EPSB had issued 401 emergency certificates for the 2025-2026 school year.
"Emergency certificates are supposed to be reserved for truly emergent situations," Brewer said. "It is supposed to be strictly limited and is valid for just that specific job for which the emergency certificate is issued."
Districts reported using various strategies to address shortages, including continuing recruitment efforts while using substitute teachers to fill vacant positions.
The survey also found that 72% of districts observed fewer qualified candidates applying for positions over the past two years. Only 6% of Kentucky school districts said they needed to cancel classes or programs due to staffing shortages this year.
