Mililani High School biology teacher Elaine Mahoney loves her job and thrives on being around her students.

But after 38 years as an educator, she's ready to retire.

"It's time to move on," said Mahoney, 60. "I love what I'm doing, I really do. There are just other things I want to do in my lifetime."

Mahoney is one of 241 public school teachers who retire this week as public schools close for summer. Students started their vacation yesterday — under the state's new uniform calendar — and will return to classes on July 30.

But for many teachers, yesterday was the last day with the kids. The number of teachers retiring could rise as baby boomers leave the workforce in the coming years. That could add to the state's challenges in staffing schools with qualified educators.

Nearly 21 percent of Hawai'i's public school teachers are 55 years old or older as of December 2006, according to the state Department of Education. About 23 percent of vice principals and 55 percent of principals are at least 55 years old.

"Like every other state, the baby boomers are coming up for retirement," said Bruce Shimomoto, personnel director for the state Department of Education.

But Shimomoto said it's difficult to say when they will retire.

"All we know is there are people nearing or at the age to retire," he said. "Many factors enter into a decision to retire. Age is just one of them. It really is an individual's decision based on one's personal finances and obligations."

Teachers on average retire after 30 years of service, according to the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Another factor that may weigh into a teacher's decision to retire is the raises in a new two-year public school teacher contract that was ratified last month, granting average increases of 11.2 percent over two years, according to the HSTA.

Shimomoto estimated the department will have to hire 1,450 to 1,550 new teachers for the upcoming school year, roughly in line with what the state needs every year to replace those who retire or leave the system. Meanwhile, the number of teachers graduating and being licensed each year in Hawai'i falls far short of demand.

"I don't see us being able to keep up with the teacher shortage," said state schools superintendent Pat Hamamoto in an interview with The Advertiser. "The question is, will we be able to produce enough teachers?"

COMPETITION GREATER

There will be a growing number of teachers retiring in the future as more reach retirement age, said Joan Husted, executive director of the HSTA.

"As the senior generation retires, we're getting fewer teachers entering teaching," Husted said. "Women, who traditionally went into teaching, now have found the whole employment market wide open for them. .. We're going to continue to have to look for teachers, and we're competing nationally."

Husted pointed out it's not just the retirees who have contributed to the shortage. Teachers are leaving the classroom to fill vacancies in school administrator positions, and some move or change careers.

State House Education Committee Chairman Roy Takumi also recognized the issue.

"It comes up all the time," he said. "It's an issue that affects all school districts across the country."

He said the Legislature this year passed measures that aim to ease challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers.

They include a bill to offer a $5,000 bonus to teachers who go to a school that has a high turnover rate or is currently under restructuring, or special state oversight, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Another bill, which Gov. Linda Lingle signed into law this week, requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to pursue full teacher license reciprocity with all other states and issue licenses to those with valid out-of-state licenses who have passed tests similar to those required here.

SALARIES HIGHER

What may help, however, is the new teachers' contract, which will raise starting pay for new teachers from $39,901 to $43,157. For teachers with about 15 years of experience, a master's degree and some additional credit hours, annual pay will increase from $59,566 to $66,359 by the end of the contract. For the most experienced teachers with more than 33 years experience, pay will rise from $73,197 to $79,170.

The raises will likely help keep and attract teachers, said Mahoney, the retiring science teacher.

"Some of our best young teachers have left the profession," she said. "The good thing is they're paying young teachers more with the new contract."

It would also help if schools were given more money, she said, adding that she has "spent an awful lot of my own money in the classroom."

Math, science and special education always seem to be areas where there's a shortage of teachers, said Mililani High School Principal John Brummel. He said the school usually gets a fairly good selection of teachers who want to work there, but emphasized that filling positions isn't necessarily easy.

"It's hard to find teachers, especially in those areas," he said. "They're sure not coming out of the woodwork, that's for sure. You have to search pretty hard sometimes for the right people."