An audit has slammed the way some state agencies hire retired state workers, and legislation is being prepared to clamp down on the practice. But public schools are expected to be able to continue doing so.

School districts often hire retirees from other school districts, mainly to address a daunting teacher shortage.

"It's actually deepened the pool of teachers, which is something we desperately need," said Martin Bates, assistant to the superintendent on legal matters in Granite School District. "We have a teacher shortage. We are in crisis."

The practice is "fairly permitted within statute" and is "not an area of focus" for legislators wanting to tighten hiring practices, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said.

Still, Bates said he will watch legislation closely to make sure schools' practice doesn't become a casualty of the actions of a few.

Utah schools will need more than 44,000 new teachers — a 23 percent increase — by 2014, according to the Utah Education Supply and Demand Study 2004-05 issued last winter. Fast-growing districts could need to grow their teaching force by 60 percent.

Colleges aren't keeping up with that demand, and new teachers are going to states with better pay and signing bonuses. All this as Utah's enrollment is projected to swell by 28 percent and more than 46 percent of teachers become eligible for retirement in the next decade.

School districts are feeling the effects now. Jordan needed to hire 750 teachers to start the school year — more than twice the typical vacancies — after 260 retired following retirement benefit changes precipitated by new federal and state accounting rules. It had about 20 vacancies at the beginning of the school year, but those since have been filled, district spokeswoman Melinda Colton said.

Right now, people can teach for 30 years, then retire and go to work in a different school district, collecting retirement benefits and pulling a paycheck at the same time. They can work for the same school district if they wait six months, or do other work for less than 20 hours a week, like substitute teaching.

Districts lately have been recruiting retirees. Jordan last summer sent letters to 480 teachers who had retired in the past few years to see if they'd be interested in returning to the classroom. Some Davis retirees reported getting up to three letters from Jordan District.

Meanwhile, Jordan's most recent retirees helped fill Granite District's openings, essentially saving its skin this school year, Bates said. Murray School District also hired a handful of Jordan's retirees for high-demand jobs, including those in special education. Davis District reported hiring retirees from both Jordan and Granite.