ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- As summer break comes to a close, the number of open jobs in Northwest Florida school districts are alarming.
More than 100 teaching jobs are still available from Escambia to Okaloosa County Schools.
From English, Math, Science and Reading, the state of Florida is in dire need of public school teachers.
Less than a year ago, the Florida Education Association reported more than 5,000 open teaching slots across the state.
Monday, that number has nearly doubled according to the Florida Department of Education. And locally, the percentages aren't much better.
In the newly-renamed Escambia County Public Schools, nearly three dozen elementary, middle and high school positions are open.
The district is looking to fill more than 70 other jobs.
Escambia County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith knows the issue won't be solved overnight, hoping to reignite excitement in his district with a five-year strategic plan announced earlier this month.
"It'll be a great help to me and a great help to our district as well as students and families," Dr. Smith said.
In Santa Rosa County, the district's website lists over 30 instructional positions up for grabs as of Monday, with an additional 50+ educational support jobs open.
Okaloosa County has filled more than 25 jobs since July but still in need of more than 50 teachers.
"You know the last two years have been extremely challenging, not only in Okaloosa County, but our surrounding neighbors in the state of Florida," Okaloosa County Schools Superintendent Marcus Chambers said.
Critics blame increased demand and lack of support as a few reasons for the mass exodus in recent years, but on the back end Florida colleges and universities aren't producing enough teachers, according to the DOE.
Escambia Education Association President Darzelle Warren says there's a strong divide between teachers and lawmakers, making it increasingly difficult to recruit teaching hopefuls.
"They're listening to the news reports, they're listening to the governor constantly criticizing them, why would they want to go into a profession that's not valued by anyone?" Warren said.
Teacher salary also remains a key issue.
A report from April by the National Education Association shows Florida ranked 16th in the nation for starting salary at $44,000, but Governor DeSantis' promise to increase base pay to $47,500 has left teachers hopeful.
What's unclear is how the state will ensure all teacher's get that raise.
When it comes to specific subjects, English teachers remain by far the highest demand of any -- nearly 20% of all public school English classes in Florida were taught by someone not certified in the subject.