Good news and bad news in a new survey from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association. Director Shawn Hime tells KTOK News the teacher pay raise has boosted morale and more school districts are hiring, but Oklahoma schools are still starting the new year with nearly 500 teaching vacancies, about the same as last year. "The veto referendum effort left teachers with too much doubt about whether the raise was real," Hime said. "That missed opportunity meant many teachers made choices to leave the state or pursue other professions."