Arkansas’s teacher retention rate held steady in the 2024–25 school year but remains below pre-pandemic levels. Approximately 12.8% of teachers left the classroom (i.e. Exiters + Switchers), still well above the ~10% rate typical before the pandemic.

Last year, we highlighted early signs of a recovery in teacher retention following pandemic-era declines. Now, with updated data from 2024–25, we examine whether that recovery continued—and the persistent retention challenges facing some Arkansas schools.

Teacher Retention Stabilized in 2024–25

Our analysis places teachers into one of four categories based on their employment decisions between spring 2024 and fall 2025:

• Stayers remained in the same school(s);
• Movers transferred to a different school or district;
• Switchers moved to a non-teaching role within Arkansas public schools;
• Exiters left the Arkansas public school system entirely.

The chart below shows teachers employment decisions using these categories for the 2015-16 school year through the 2024-25 school year. In 2024-25:

• 77.0% of teachers were Stayers;
• 10.1% were Movers—4.7% moved within district and 5.4% moved between districts;
• 3.6% were Switchers; and
• 9.2% exited the system entirely—6.5% left the Arkansas public school workforce and 2.7% retired.

These figures are nearly identical to those from 2023–24 and represent a 2.1 percentage point increase in retention compared to the low point in 2022–23. However, they have not improved beyond last year’s levels, and retention rates continue to be lower than in pre-pandemic times, suggesting a potential plateau in recovery.

Increased Exits Aren’t Being Driven by Retirements

To understand what’s behind the stalled improvement, we took a closer look at the Exiters. While 9.2% of all teachers left Arkansas public schools in 2024–25, a higher share than during pre-pandemic times, only 2.7% retired. The remaining 6.5% left for other reasons, likely to pursue non-teaching careers or spend time with family.

The retirement rate aligns with historical norms. Between 2015–16 and 2019–20, retirements averaged 2.8% annually. In other words, the uptick in exits we've observed since the pandemic is not driven by a wave of retirements, but by early- and mid-career teachers leaving the profession.

The Rate of Switchers Continues to be Elevated Compared to Pre-pandemic Years

In addition to an increased Exiter rate, the rate of switchers remains elevated above pre-pandemic levels. In 2024-25, 3.6% of teachers left the classroom for non-teaching positions such as principal or instructional coach, up approximately one percentage point from the historical average.

One likely reason this rate remains high might be that many districts created new non-instructional roles using Federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. With the January 2025 deadline for spending these funds now passed, next year’s data will provide an important indicator of whether these non-instructional roles will be maintained without additional federal support.

Retention Patterns Vary Widely by District

Retention rates in 2024–25 ranged widely across districts from 55% to 95%. Seven districts had retention rates below 65%, five of which are in southern or eastern Arkansas, regions identified by the Arkansas Department of Education as geographic shortage areas.

But geographic trends aren’t absolute, and teachers’ job transition patterns can vary a lot across districts in the same region. Some districts in geographic shortage areas, like DeWitt (88.4%) and Hamburg (89.2%), reported retention rates well above the state average.

Looking closer at two neighboring districts illustrates how teacher movement patterns can diverge:

• In Strong-Huttig, 38% of the 2023-24 teachers are no longer in district classrooms (see first map below). Of those, 73% left the profession and 27% stayed in Arkansas public schools. Most weren’t looking for a different teaching job—they left the Arkansas public education altogether.
• In Hermitage, where 35% of teachers were no longer teaching in the district, 55% of those moved to teach in other districts, 18% switched roles, and only 27% left the profession (see second map below). Most teachers here stayed in education, just not in Hermitage.

These examples show that teacher retention is a local issue shaped by conditions and dynamics that differ district by district. Explore the patterns in your area using the interactive map below.

Retention Is Moving in the Right Direction—But Work Remains

Teacher retention in Arkansas has stabilized after post-pandemic declines. While not yet back to pre-pandemic levels, the trend is no longer worsening, and some districts are seeing strong improvements.

Still, challenges remain. Exit and switcher rates remain elevated, and some districts—particularly in geographic shortage areas—continue to face high turnover. These local disruptions have real implications for student learning and school stability.

Importantly, the state has not stood still. Arkansas has implemented several key policies to support the educator workforce, including significant salary increases under the LEARNS Act, merit pay for those who work in geographic and subject shortage areas, and the launch of a teacher apprenticeship program to build a stronger pipeline of future teachers. These are meaningful steps forward.

But if we want to see continued progress, especially in the hardest-to-staff areas, more targeted efforts may be needed. Strengthening support for early-career teachers, improving working conditions, and addressing the specific needs of high-turnover districts could help continue to move retention in the right direction.

With continued attention and collaboration among state leaders, districts, and communities, Arkansas has the opportunity to not just stabilize teacher retention but to build a teacher workforce that is stronger than before.