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A new statewide report shows teacher turnover is improving after hitting a recent high, but vacancies continue to rise after years of teacher pipeline issues.

A new statewide report shows teacher turnover is improving after hitting a recent high, but vacancies continue to rise after years of teacher pipeline issues.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools unveiled plans Thursday to help link teachers to affordable housing. Administrators say the effort will help recruit and retain teachers amid statewide shortages.

The North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association surveys its members each fall about vacant positions at their districts. This year, vacancies for classroom teachers decreased, but vacancies for bus drivers and special education teachers have not improved.

About 11.5% of North Carolina teachers left the profession last school year, including retirements. There were just over 6,000 teaching vacancies reported statewide, including classes without a fully licensed teacher.

Unlike in many states, North Carolina public school teachers can not collectively bargain contracts. Nor can they legally strike. The situation has broad effects for public school employees.

The state budget N.C. legislators released Wednesday would slightly raise teacher pay, expand private school vouchers and curtail the powers of the State Board of Education.

State lawmakers are supposed to pass a budget by July, but debates between Republican leaders are dragging into the fall, affecting schools.

Democrats in the General Assembly put the blame on Republican leadership for what they describe as chronic underfunding of schools.They say the failure to pass a state budget by July - when it's supposed to take effect - is making matters worse.

State funding for school employee salaries hasn’t kept up with the cost of living in cities. Wake County Schools is struggling to keep employees, and that puts pressure on the county commission to raise local taxes.