More than half of Utah school districts started classes this fall without enough teachers, a situation that's worsened over the past year, states an updated teacher shortage report presented at the Governor's Education Summit Tuesday.

Twenty-one of 39 school districts (there are 40) surveyed reported being a combined 173 teachers short of the mark, a number up 25 percent from a year ago, according to research presented by David Sperry, Utah System of Higher Education scholar in residence. The highest number of vacancies was in Jordan School District, which was short 46 teachers, followed by Alpine, which was short 43 teachers, and Washington, short by 22.

"The teacher shortage in Utah remains critical," Sperry told legislators and public and higher education bosses gathered at the summit at Salt Lake Community College.

The summit is aimed at idea and information sharing. This year's lineup included talks about the governor's education priorities, preparing the work force of the 21st century, and expanding math and science instruction.

The teacher shortage was punctuated in Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s education priorities for the upcoming Legislative session — increasing teacher pay to lure more teachers to the profession will be his No. 1 task — and talks about lengthening teaching contracts to maximize personnel and pay them better.

For instance, Alpine School District has some elementary teachers with 29 students but have half of those students show up at 8 a.m., and the rest at 9:15, said Robert Smith, assistant superintendent over business services. The time in between is largely spent on reading. Classes are bigger for social studies, science and other subjects, and then get smaller at the end of the day for reading again, when the first arrivals go home.

Teachers do more work, yes. And they're paid more, Smith said. By not hiring as many teachers, the district saves on benefits, a savings reinvested in teacher pay. So a beginning elementary teacher can make about $35,000 a year instead of $30,000; secondary teachers make closer to $38,000, straight out of college.

"I can sign a lot of teachers when they look at comparative salaries, so we get the cream of the crop," Smith said.

Offering summer math and science classes by teachers on extended contracts, a concept Huntsman plans to support in his 2008 legislative budget proposal, would work similarly.

The suggestions come at a dire time. Fifty-five percent of teachers leaving the profession have five years or less experience, compared to 48 percent a year ago, Sperry reports in his 2006-2007 Teacher Supply and Demand Follow-Up Study (see www.utahsbr.edu).