A new report on the number of Kansas teachers leaving their jobs should be of huge concern to state officials. The number of teachers retiring or leaving the field has risen dramatically in the last several years, and that loss could have a big impact on the quality of K-12 education in the state.

Statistics compiled by the Kansas State Department of Education show a troubling trend. At least 3,720 Kansas teachers left the state, retired or took non-education jobs following the 2014-15 school year. Of those, at least 654 quit their jobs and left the state. Teacher retirements after the 2014-15 school year (2,326) were almost double the number recorded after the 2011-12 school year (1,260). A total of 740 Kansas teachers decided to leave the profession entirely after the last school year, compared with 491 who made that move in 2011-12.

To some extent, this exodus was predicted because of the number of baby boomer teachers who were reaching retirement age. State school officials had warned for some time that a bump in the number of retiring teachers was on the horizon. What is more troubling about the recent report is the number of teachers who are taking jobs outside the state or leaving their profession entirely.

Although it’s hard to know exactly what is fueling this trend, teacher organizations and school district officials report that recent state actions have created legal and financial uncertainties that could make teachers more likely to leave the field. The state has sought to limit teachers’ bargaining power and right to due process and moved to a block-grant funding system that will keep school funding flat even in districts with increased enrollments. New policies that will allow unlicensed teachers in some Kansas schools also added insult to injury for many teachers.

Kansas is not the only state having trouble recruiting and retaining teachers, but the situation here is such that other states see an opportunity to try to lure dissatisfied Kansas teachers. For instance, local motorists may have noticed billboards placed on the Kansas Turnpike near Lawrence advertising teaching jobs available in the Independence, Mo., school district.

Teaching has been a perennially undervalued profession, but good teachers are a vital resource for Kansas. Without well-trained and dedicated teachers, it will be impossible to maintain the quality of K-12 schools in the state. Not only is the state losing teachers, it is creating an atmosphere that makes teaching a less attractive career choice for young people.

Kansas may not be alone in this dealing with this challenge, but the large increase in teacher departures last year should be a matter of concern and a call to action for state officials.