Statewide teachers shortage gets worse every year

Bobby Bolen is trying to fill around 50 teaching positions at the North Slope Borough School District.

“This is our focus 24 hours a day right now — to get classrooms staffed for students,” Bolen said.

Bolen is the brand-new human resources director at the district, which has about 2,000 students in 12 schools, some of which start as soon as Aug. 8. He’s exploring options like long-term substitutes and the prospect of international teachers to round out the district’s usual teaching staff of about 170.

“Our worst-case scenario would be distance-delivery. That’s obviously not our goal and that’...