New Hampshire schools may struggle to hire enough teachers in the coming years, according to a new analysis. It points to two factors: Fewer New Hampshire college students are earning education degrees, and a growing share of schools’ existing teachers are nearing retirement age. It also cited low wages as a hurdle to hiring more teachers.
The report from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute comes as the state’s number of students has declined almost 13% in the past decade. The report’s authors concluded those enrollment changes will not eliminate the need for as many as 1,100 new teachers each year. The report warned teacher shortages pose significant risks.
“Maintaining a strong educator workforce matters not only for school operations, but for students and the state’s economic future,” the report said. “Teachers play a critical role in student achievement and can influence outcomes that extend far beyond the classroom, including attendance, progress in school, college enrollment, and future earnings.”
Here are three takeaways from the report.
Low teacher salaries, high living costs are contributing to the shortage.
In a 2023 report, New Hampshire lawmakers cited low salaries as a concern and recommended making it easier for out-of-state teachers to work in New Hampshire schools.
New Hampshire is unlikely to entice out-of-state teachers based on salary differences. In an analysis earlier this year, NEA-New Hampshire found that New Hampshire ranked 42nd in the country for starting teacher salaries and 25th for average salaries.
In Massachusetts the average teacher salary is about $93,500, according to the union’s report. It’s just under $69,500 in New Hampshire. Meanwhile the cost of living in the two states is similar, about $83,000 a year.
Fewer students are pursuing education degrees.
The number of New Hampshire students earning bachelor degrees in education dropped from 534 in 2010 to 283 last year. And the state is seeing a shortage in particular subjects, including chemistry, physics, math and early childhood education.
Wages may be a factor. The report found that New Hampshire teachers earned a third less than people with comparable degrees. And some school districts may struggle more than others to hire teachers due to salary discrepancies.
Last school year, teachers in New Castle had the highest minimum annual starting salary at $59,396, according to the report. Pittsfield has the lowest at $37,113, according to the report. That is due largely to differences in local property tax revenue.
Those discrepancies could become more of a concern in communities that adopt a school tax cap in November. Under a Republican-backed law, the ballot in every city and town will ask voters if they want to limit increases in their school property tax to the rate of inflation.
Research shows retaining experienced teachers is good for students.
Many factors influence a student's success, including household income, health, and family support. Teachers also have a significant effect on student’s success.
The report said high teacher turnover can disrupt school stability and collaboration between staff. A teacher shortage could mean a rise in less-experienced teachers, larger class sizes, and fewer course offerings.
