N.H. Schools Face Teacher Shortages As Workforce Ages And Fewer Students Enter Profession
New Hampshire schools could face more than 1,100 teacher openings annually over the next decade as educators retire or leave the profession, while fewer college students earn education degrees, according to a new report.
The New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research group, points to an aging school workforce, comparatively low teacher pay and high housing and child care costs as obstacles to recruiting and retaining teachers.
The challenges could be particularly difficult for rural school districts, including those in northern New Hampshire, where districts may have to compete for a limited pool of applicants while offering lower salaries than some other districts.
New Hampshire Employment Security projects 1,114 annual openings for kindergarten, elementary, middle and secondary school teachers from 2024 through 2034. About 95% of those openings are expected to result from workers retiring, leaving the labor force or moving to other occupations, rather than from employment growth.
At the same time, the number of people completing education bachelor’s degrees at New Hampshire colleges and universities fell by half, from 567 in 2015 to 283 in 2025, according to the report, “New Hampshire’s Educator Workforce Faces Growing Recruitment, Retirement, and Affordability Pressures.”
The state’s school workforce is also aging. In 2025, 33.7% of workers in elementary and secondary schools were 55 or older, up from 22.1% in 2004.
And now it’s time for your Moo92 sports…
The Boston Bruins are back in action tonight as they take on the Anaheim Ducks tonight. The Bruins riding a 3 game winning streak as they continue their West Coast trip. David Pastrinak with 2 goals and 6 assists in the for 7 games. Puck drops at 10pm tonight.
In baseball the Milwaukee Brewers are heading to their first World Series in 44 years as they completed the 4 game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers last night in LA. The Brew Crew will wait for the winner of the Cleveland Tampa Bay series. Cleveland holding a 2-1 lead over the Rays. Game 4 in Cleveland tonight at 8pm.
And in local sports…
The North Country varsity football team beat U-32 last night by a score of 26-22. The Falcons Defense getting a key turnover as the Raiders were driving at the end of the game to seal their homecoming victory. North Country will host Mount Mansfield next Friday Night.
The North Country boys soccer team will host Peoples Academy tonight while the Lake Region boys program will host Thetford Academy. Both Kickoffs at 4pm.