There are more than 3,100 teacher vacancies according to a count by the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union.
The tally is a snapshot of the teacher shortages just before school districts start the academic year. District leaders say some positions will likely be filled in the coming weeks.
However, the FEA pointed out that vacancies are much higher compared to last year's count around the same time.
That means "hundreds of thousands of children across Florida will return to their neighborhood public schools this year without a permanent, fully certified teacher in their classroom," the FEA wrote in a press release.
Some school districts across the region are bucking the statewide trend and have fewer vacancies than last year (the numbers are as of early August of each year).
Pat Barber is the president of the Manatee Education Association, the district's teachers union. She points to stagnant pay that has not kept up with the rising cost of living in the area.
"We have people who leave because they can't afford to live in Manatee County," said Barber.
For the third year in a row, Florida ranked 50th in the nation for average teacher pay.
The average salary for the 2024-2025 school year was $54,875 while the national average sits at around $74,400, according to the National Education Association.
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Florida's minimum salary for first-year teachers is $47,500. Many districts in the Tampa Bay region have a base salary slightly higher. Teachers earn more each year on a sliding pay scale.
Every year, teachers unions negotiate pay raises.
Barber said a county referendum has helped support employee salaries. But it still isn't enough.
"The way our legislators have tried to do band-aids in education funding rather than actually funding public schools has definitely hurt our ability to pay for anything in public education," she said.
One of the biggest hits to funding for public education is the expansion of private school vouchers, according to some parents and teachers.
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Enrollment in public schools is decreasing as more students choose charter and private schools. Student enrollment determines how much money districts get.
In 2023, Florida eliminated income limits for who is able to receive vouchers, or state money, to attend private schools or home school. That cost the state nearly $4 billion in taxpayer dollars, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
Raena Boston, a Hillsborough County parent, said universal vouchers have diverted much-needed funds away from public schools.
"There's money and resources and bodies being funneled away for them [public schools] into private school," said Boston.
Boston also pointed to recent state laws that have restricted what is taught in classrooms.
"Public schools in general are just kind of under attack, and there's just been so much undermining of them as institutions," said Boston, "And while they're not perfect, they do exist to serve everybody."
The Florida Education Association also pointed to the lack of teachers willing to stay long term.
"Last year, 31% of classroom teachers had fewer than four years’ experience," the FEA stated, "and the state’s own 2026-27 critical shortage report shows vacancies are increasingly filled by out-of-field or temporary teachers, with the number of certified teachers being replaced more than doubling over five years."
