TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas is receiving $8.4 million in federal funding aimed at recruiting and retaining educators and developing new pathways into the teaching profession.
The three-year grant is through the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program. The funding will support efforts by the Kansas State Department of Education to address persistent educator shortages, particularly in high-need schools.
The funding will help expand teacher and principal apprenticeship programs and establish an apprenticeship pathway for reading specialists. It will also support career pathways designed to help classroom educators move into leadership positions.
One component is an expansion of the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, which provides a pathway for people already working in schools to earn teaching degrees and licenses while remaining employed.
Kansas launched the program as a pilot during the 2023-24 school year with 14 apprentices in six school districts. Participation grew to 167 apprentices across 53 districts the following year.
The investment comes as Kansas continues to face educator vacancies, although state data indicate the shortage has eased from previous years.
According to KSDE, Kansas had 1,588 educator vacancies in spring 2026, compared with 1,747 in fall 2025 and more than 2,200 in spring 2025.
Special education remains the state's largest shortage area, accounting for 378 vacancies. Elementary education, science, mathematics and English language arts were also among the areas with the most unfilled positions.
Kansas also reported more than 43,400 educators during the 2025-26 school year. KSDE said the number of educators leaving their positions declined by more than 500 compared with the previous year.
The federal Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program provides grants designed to help school districts and states develop strategies for recruiting, supporting and retaining effective educators, with an emphasis on schools serving high-need students.
Kansas officials expect the new funding to build on existing programs while creating additional pathways for people to enter and remain in the education workforce.