GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Workforce retention data tracked by the state shows that Michigan’s public schools may be increasingly relying on teachers at both ends of the age spectrum.

Many districts in Kent and Ottawa counties also follow the state’s trend.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) released updated 2024-25 retention numbers at the end of October for school workers, like teachers, administrators and support staff.

The number of teachers in the state has increased in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, from roughly 79,708 teachers in 2020-21 to 82,014 last year. An MLive review of the data found much of that increase was among educators in their 20s and over age 50.

Experts say the data lines up with the number of new teachers who leave the industry after a few years,

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