How school districts and states are trying to attract teachers during the pandemic

The stress of the pandemic is likely to only exacerbate challenges in recruiting teachers.

When hiring recently for an elementary school teacher position, Superintendent Randy Squier noticed far fewer applicants than his upstate New York school district would normally receive.

"We would often see 120 applicants for an elementary position. Now we're seeing 40," Squier, superintendent of the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District in Coxsackie, told ABC News.

Keith Marty, superintendent of Missouri's Parkway School District in suburban St. Louis, has had a similar experience during the pandemic, especially at the administrative level.

While schools have weathered temporary disruptions like widespread staffing absences due to the omicron variant and ongoing substitute shortages, school leaders are especially worried about long-term staffing needs.