More than 40 teachers and administrators in the Duluth school district have already announced plans to retire this spring. The Duluth News Tribune says that's among the highest number of retirees in the last decade.

“This could be a record year,” Frank Wanner, president of the Duluth Federation of Teachers, told the newspaper. “It could increase by 50 percent or more.”

Age, stress from larger class sizes, and increasing pressure and demands to boost academic achievement are just some of the reasons pushing teachers to say goodbye to the classroom, according to Wanner.

After 38 years of teaching, first-grade teacher Carol Hubert is among those ready to retire. “This may provide some younger teachers an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of working with children," the 62-year-old told the News Tribune.

Tim Sworsky, human resource manager for the district, expects at least a few years of record retirement numbers because the average age of teachers employed in Duluth is between 56 and 60.