Utah's teacher shortage is showing the first signs of easing in several years, but not as a result of any concerted effort to train or lure new educators.

School-district officials credit the worsening economy, which, they say, has brought temporary relief from recruiting woes, but may hurt in the long run.

Sustainable solutions, like producing better-trained teachers at state colleges, extending school schedules or designing pay scales to woo star performers, cost money. And money is hard to come by as plunging tax revenues threaten to drain millions from school coffers.

Still, "every dark cloud has a silver lining," said Mike Fraser, executive director of human resources at Granite District.

Fraser said the recruiting season doesn't heat up until spring. But an influx of applications for substitute teaching posts may be a harbinger of things to come.

"I've actually got Ph.D.s in our substitute pool right now," he said.

The economy has also put a chill on retirements, said Fraser. "People are looking at their 401(k)s and saying, 'Maybe I ought to hang onto my job for a while.' "

Less than a year ago, when times were good and Utah's economy led the nation, Fraser struggled to fill assignments. The district's "failed to fill posts" have since fallen 50 percent.

Fast-growing Davis School District expects to fill 150 teacher spots this season, compared with 350 last year, said district spokesman Chris Williams.

But, Williams said, shortages remain in special education, math, chemistry, physics and foreign language. Funds are stretched, classes are oversized and bonding for new construction hasn't gotten easier.

Meanwhile, Davis' student population is projected to grow by 10,000 over the next decade, even as throngs of teachers reach retirement age, said Williams. "In our minds, the shortage is still there."