School districts across Kansas are hoping there will be enough new teachers to fill vacancies once baby boomers feel secure enough about the economy to retire.

Administrators were concerned five years ago that there wouldn’t be enough teachers once older teachers started retiring. Then the economy tanked and many veteran teachers decided to keep working for a few more years.

The Hutchinson News reports that left too many teachers for the available jobs in 2009 and 2010. Deans at the state’s teachers colleges said enrollment didn’t drop much during that time, but there were no increases.

Rural administrators say they’re worried that once jobs do start opening up, many new teachers will choose to go to larger metropolitan areas where the pay and facilities are better.