The White Salmon Valley School District starts its school year on August 30, and there are a number of staff changes from previous years.  District Superintendent Jerry Lewis says they had a number of retirements, and all of the district’s schools will see new personnel.  Lewis says they are finishing up hiring new employees, but he says the shortage of teaching candidates was noticeable during the search process.  He noted normally they would have 15 to 20 applicants per certified position, but this year it only got as high as six to seven.  Factors in the low numbers of candidates include a smaller amount of students taking teaching programs in college, and the cost of housing in this region.