SPRINGFIELD (25News Now) – Leaders with the Illinois State Board of Education said a state grant has helped make significant progress in filling teacher roles, combating a statewide shortage.

ISBE data showed that statewide teacher vacancies fell by 24%, from 2.76% last year to 2.1% this year. As of Oct. 1, 2025, there were 2,943 unfilled positions, a decrease from 3,864 unfilled spots in 2024.

Leaders said it is in part thanks to a $120 million investment into the Teacher Vacancy Grant. The grant has gone to 170 Illinois school districts in need for the last three years, supporting locally driven strategies to recruit and retain educators.

ISBE Chief of Staff Dr. Kimako Patterson said the money has helped these districts in need create their own unique solutions to filling teacher vacancies.

“Some of them have created their own residency and apprenticeship programs,” she said. “They work with their own surrounding community colleges or university colleges of higher education to supplement and implement programs to sustain those districts and those communities.”

However, Patterson said the work is nowhere near done regarding addressing the statewide shortage. She said they want to focus more energy on recruiting, making sure more people are interested in pursuing degrees and careers in education.

According to Patterson, ISBE leaders plan to hold a summit later this year for district administrators and educators. That date has yet to be announced.

“We want to continue to have summits, have the discussion, and have spaces where we can talk about how best to encourage people to enter into the field of education because we believe teaching is the answer,” she said.

Patterson said she hopes lawmakers will continue to offer the grant and that the board can continue helping districts to fill more empty positions, especially in areas like special education.

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