Geoffrey Rogado is spending the waning days of summer preparing lesson plans, decorating his classroom and organizing a back-to-school night for the parents of his fourth-grade students -- and he's grateful to be doing the work.

The new teacher at Elk Grove Unified's Elliott Ranch Elementary is glad that, unlike many of his peers, he has secured a job as a first-year educator.

Although September is fast approaching, only half of the 48 graduates from Rogado's teacher credentialing program at San Francisco State have landed teaching positions.

"In years past, maybe 90 percent of the class would have a position by this time," Rogado said.

The North Natomas resident received his teacher training in Elk Grove schools, excelled as a student teacher and received solid references from school principals. As a result, "I didn't experience as much anxiety when it came to getting a job as some of my colleagues," he said.

Rookie teachers are descending upon freshly decorated classrooms in fewer numbers this school year, as prolonged budget negotiations, an ever-growing state deficit, shrunken general funds and resulting layoffs made it harder for school districts to hire en masse.

Many newly minted teachers were unprepared to enter such a tight job market, said Ellen Moir, executive director of the New Teacher Center at UC Santa Cruz, which trains and provides mentors to new teachers across the state.

Since class-size reduction's implementation in 1995, teaching jobs have been plentiful and most teaching graduates had their pick of jobs, Moir said.

But "this was a really different year," she said, meaning a larger pool of qualified applicants for a smaller number of teaching positions.

Locally, the Sacramento City Unified School District hired significantly fewer new teachers this year and saw its teacher-intern class shrink by half, said Carol Mignone, chief personnel officer for the district. The district chose to avoid as many layoffs as possible, and is concentrating on securing positions for teacher interns who received pink slips last spring.

The San Juan Unified School District also avoided layoffs and has yet to hire any new teachers for the upcoming school year, said spokeswoman Deidra Powell.

Elk Grove Unified has hired 45 teachers who are new to the profession, less than in previous years, said district officials. Budget cuts at high administrative levels moved some employees back into the classroom, and the district is opening just one new school this year compared with five last year, shrinking the number of open positions.

Other districts, such as Rio Linda Union, also hired fewer first-year teachers this year. Less turnover in Rio Linda, coupled with declining enrollment, forced officials to eliminate 19 teaching positions.

Barbara Baxter, assistant superintendent of personnel for Rio Linda, says the hardship can be seen in prospective teaching candidates.

"My pool of unplaced, really fine applicants is greater this year than usual," Baxter said. "If our enrollment increases in the next few weeks and I have to add classes, I have a pool of very qualified teachers who in other years would have found jobs already. It's hard to tell if that is because more teachers are graduating from colleges or because other districts have made budget cuts."

Most likely, it's a combination of those factors, experts say.

While this was a particularly disappointing year for new teachers, it doesn't diminish the real need for educators, said Margaret Gaston, executive director at the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning in Santa Cruz.

Children continue to enter the state school system, and a large number of teachers are nearing retirement age, so the demand will continue to be great long after this year's state budget crisis becomes old news.

Education experts worry this year's bad teacher employment market may influence future teaching recruits.

"We're concerned that there are people who may now be reluctant to enter the teaching profession because they kept hearing about pink slips and layoffs," Gaston said.

Moir talked to many new teachers who were discouraged, as well as some mid-career teachers who switched professions and now wonder if they made the right choice.

She tries to reassure them -- and offer some advice.

"I still think the need for new teachers is great," Moir said.

In some cases, the teacher candidates need to look in more rural, growing districts, where immediate jobs are available.

Bret Friend was one of the lucky ones. He got a job in the district of his choice -- Rio Linda -- teaching the grade he had hoped to teach -- though he had to sweat it out until just two days before teacher orientation began.

Classes started last Monday.

"It has been great," said Friend, who teaches fourth grade at Larchmont Elementary in North Highlands. "I am having so much fun. It just feels so good to have my own classroom, and try all the ideas I had when I was student-teaching."

He has decorated the walls, arranged the desks in clusters of three, assigned students jobs like door monitor and paper monitor, and held a getting-to-know-you session with his students.

Friend is happy to have the job and feels especially fortunate in this off-kilter budget year.

"Just being at school, being around my students is the best part," said the 25-year-old Sacramento resident. "Every day, I look forward to coming to work."

But the best part, according to Friend?

"It doesn't even feel like work."