They also pay at least $450 a month for family health coverage, compared with about $100 a month in Ohio.

As a result, many flirt with leaving. Every year, some do.

Ryle High School in Union has lost three science teachers in two years. Beechwood High in Fort Mitchell has gone through five band directors since 1996, three of whom now teach in Ohio.

But money isn't the only thing binding educators to schools. Other factors - including the support of administrators, ties to neighborhoods and alma maters, even less traffic in Northern Kentucky - help keep teachers here.

As long as that is true, the gap in salaries and benefits isn't likely to disappear, experts say.

When it comes to wages, the marketplace plays a bigger role than any other factor, including the way schools are funded or the power of unions to wangle raises.

"It's all about supply," said Larry Johnson, dean of the education college at the University of Cincinnati. "If they're having no problem filling positions at those salaries, they're not likely to raise them just because it's less than Cincinnati."

Superintendents in Northern Kentucky say they're more worried than ever about the potential for exodus.

Last month, an uproar over possible cuts in health benefits led to a day of protest, with four school districts canceling classes. Hundreds of teachers attended rallies, some carrying signs that said, "Hey Ohio, are you hiring?"

But salaries and benefits in Northern Kentucky have lagged behind Ohio's for years. So far, the number of departing teachers hasn't crippled school districts.

Kentucky doesn't keep track of teacher turnover. Anecdotally, however, Boone County Superintendent Bryan Blavatt estimates he loses 10 or 20 teachers a year to better-paying jobs in Ohio.

In one memorable case, the district paid for a top-notch English instructor to become nationally board-certified. Then she left for an Ohio school, taking her prestigious training with her.

"That one killed me," Blavatt said.

Still, 20 teachers a year represents just 2 percent of Boone's total. What keeps others from leaving?

"One of the major things that prevents me is just the traffic," said Randy Wilson, a science teacher who lives near his school, Boone County High. "Saving an hour or 45 minutes to work each day - that's worth something to me."

There's also the comfort factor: Teachers with significant time in Kentucky schools are simply reluctant to start over.

"We have writing portfolios here. Who knows what they have over there?" Wilson said. "Do they drive on the left or the right side of the road?"

In addition, salaries in Northern Kentucky aren't bad for beginning teachers, who may not realize the wage discrepancy until later.

On average, first-year teachers earn $29,714, only 9 percent below Hamilton County.

The gap widens as time passes. Teachers with 11 years of experience and a master's degree make 29 percent less than their Ohio counterparts. By that point, though, Kentucky feels like home.

Tom Breadon, an assistant principal at Holmes High School, is a 14-year veteran of Kentucky schools. Covington Superintendent Jack Moreland calls him one of the district's best.

Breadon got his bachelor's degree at Morehead University in Eastern Kentucky. He knew teachers in the state. It was only natural to stay for a job.

"I was young and naÔve, and I didn't look at what the difference would be," Breadon said.

Now he has four children and earns about $65,000 a year as an administrator. In Ohio, he would gain $6,000 in lower health insurance costs alone, he said.

He started looking this summer. It was agonizing. He declined interviews at several Ohio schools, suspecting he wouldn't be happy. Another brought him in for three interviews, then hired someone else.

He'll likely try again.

"I wasn't going to go just anywhere, when I'm happy here," Breadon said. "It's just difficult to look at your family and say, 'Well, I'm loyal to this district, so we have to pay $400 a month extra for health insurance."

E-mail kgutierrez@enquirer.com