Nebraska schools see worsening teacher shortage in most recent NDE survey results

Over 900 positions went vacant or unfilled with a qualified person in Nebraska schools for the 2023-24 school year, according to Nebraska Department of Education survey results.

Last school year, there were over 760 positions vacant or unfilled with someone qualified for the position. Districts reported 140 more open positions this school year. Only 310 districts completed the survey this year, while last year there were 402 districts that filled out the questionnaire.

NDE Commissioner Brian Maher said at a press conference last month that the teacher shortage is an ongoing conversation with schools across the state.

“There’s a coordinated effort going on between school districts, the Department of Education, higher education, even others in the workforce development area like our state chamber, who are certainly concerned about this particular topic,” Maher said.

Special education is facing the biggest brunt of the shortage with over 200 unfilled positions. Elementary education followed, with about 109 positions. These two areas saw the brunt of the shortage last school year as well, with 143 positions unfilled in special education and 104 in elementary education.

According to the survey, special education has been a shortage area for the past 15 years.

Schools said the main reasons positions went unfilled were due to no applicants and no qualified applicants for that endorsement area.