Why are there more than 3,100 teachers positions still vacant across Florida?
By Nancy Guan, Phoebe Martel
August 12, 2026 at 5:30 AM EDT
Challenges facing districts in the Tampa Bay area vary, but low pay and the rising cost of living are cited as factors making it harder to fill classrooms. Here's a breakdown by county.
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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 started the academic year. District leaders say some positions will likely be filled in the coming weeks.
However, the union pointed out that vacancies are much higher compared with 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 union wrote in a press release.
Some districts across the Tampa Bay region are bucking the statewide trend and have fewer vacancies than last year (the numbers are as of early August of each year).
(767x211, AR: 3.6350710900473935)
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 2024-25 school year was $54,875 while the national average sits at around $74,400, according to the National Education Association.
ALSO READ: Statewide teachers union says teacher, staff vacancies increased in first half of school year
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 school vouchers, according to some parents and teachers.
ALSO READ: Why these Tampa-area school districts are capping screen time in classrooms
Enrollment in public schools is decreasing as more students choose charter and private schools. Student enrollment determines how much money districts get from the state.
In 2023, Florida eliminated income limits for who can receive vouchers – state grants for families to pay for private schools or homeschooling. These universal vouchers cost the state nearly $4 billion, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
Raena Boston, a Pinellas County parent, said the 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 recently enacted 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 in positions long term.
"Last year, 31% of classroom teachers had fewer than four years’ experience," the union said, "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."
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 started the academic year. District leaders say some positions will likely be filled in the coming weeks.
However, the union pointed out that vacancies are much higher compared with 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 union wrote in a press release.
Some districts across the Tampa Bay region are bucking the statewide trend and have fewer vacancies than last year (the numbers are as of early August of each year).
(767x211, AR: 3.6350710900473935)
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 2024-25 school year was $54,875 while the national average sits at around $74,400, according to the National Education Association.
ALSO READ: Statewide teachers union says teacher, staff vacancies increased in first half of school year
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 school vouchers, according to some parents and teachers.
ALSO READ: Why these Tampa-area school districts are capping screen time in classrooms
Enrollment in public schools is decreasing as more students choose charter and private schools. Student enrollment determines how much money districts get from the state.
In 2023, Florida eliminated income limits for who can receive vouchers – state grants for families to pay for private schools or homeschooling. These universal vouchers cost the state nearly $4 billion, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
Raena Boston, a Pinellas County parent, said the 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 recently enacted 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 in positions long term.
"Last year, 31% of classroom teachers had fewer than four years’ experience," the union said, "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."