The teaching shortage doesn’t pinch Lawrence public schools as much as it might other districts, Superintendent Randy Weseman said Monday.

“You’re not hearing me complain,” Weseman said. “Our positions get filled, and I feel pretty good about the people who are filling those positions.”

Weseman’s comments came as many districts statewide scramble to fill vacancies before the start of a school year – a time when many lament a dearth of qualified applicants.

The Lawrence district has filled about 80 of 100 openings and is ahead of schedule compared with this time last year. Weseman said it’s not as hard to find teachers to take jobs in Lawrence as it may be for districts in rural parts of the state.

But the district does find it challenging to find teachers for notoriously hard-to-fill positions, such as special education and secondary math and science, district officials said.

The district makes concessions for special education teaching candidates, offering a waiver that allows them to begin the process of getting a special education background.

Mary Rodriguez, executive director of human relations, said the district does need to focus on recruitment as baby boomers retire, leaving a gap that’s not as easy to fill as it once was.

“It’s getting more challenging all the time because the pool of candidates is not as deep as it used to be 10 to 15 years ago,” Rodriguez said.