My former highschool has had a lot of problems getting techs. Unfortunately there aren't as many students to draw from like in the big city schools, which it sounds like most of you come from.
The student population is currently at around 500 students.
The drama club at this highschool is also very well known, for such a small school with little budget they really do well, with top honours for many years in the provincial highschool drama competition (the SEARS drama festival)...
After I left there was a huge lack of technicians. Several of the people who were on my crew lost interest after I left, or graduated themselves. Since then there has been a regular lack of crew members, which is getting worse and worse. New crew members tend not to manifest themselves until after the previous TD has graduated, thus they haven't had training from him (we've never had a female TD, since well before my time anyways).
The school also has a well known jazz band actually.
I've gone back several times to train the new TD and help out with productions.
What they really need is some new dedicated students in lower grades to get into the crew, enthused, so they can learn and become the TD themselves later.
Tech is a small part of the drama class, throughout the years. Not much, the only people who end up getting a real understanding of tech is the crew.
I don't know how they pull in the crew now, but I used to have a set of announcements at the beginning of the year, and had a 'sign up' in the drama room one day at lunch. Anyone could venture to the drama room, and as me questions and sign up at that lunch hour if they were interested. Made sure they knew that they'd be having to take time off of classes and once and a while we'd have pizza ordered when we were working late.
Had good kids once and a while, but too many that just didn't care to stick to it.