Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Substitutes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports substitute shortages, spikes in absences; aims to expand steady sub pool
Summary
Administrators told the committee they currently maintain roughly 40—60 steady substitutes but that spikes (for example, 31 absences on a recent Friday) strain coverage; the district pays $135 per day and has 88 applicants on file, though only about 40—45 are consistently available.
District administrators described a chronic substitute-teacher coverage challenge and outlined steps they have taken and plan to take to increase coverage.
Current state: The district reported 88 applicants in its substitute pool but said about 40 to 45 substitutes are regularly available; the district aims to grow the number of steady substitutes to about 60. The district's daily substitute rate is $135. Administrators said some applicants restrict the schools where they will work, and many substitutes are elementary-only, which limits coverage at the middle and high school levels.
Spike example and impacts: Administrators and committee members discussed a recent Friday when 31 staff were absent and the district had to rely on teachers and existing coverage strategies. Committee member Lorinda Visnick described the spike as a major strain: "How on God's green earth can we possibly deal with that?" Administrators said spikes are often caused by clustering of personal days late in the school year and that the district is working to increase daily and high-school-area substitutes.
Proposed and implemented steps: The district has increased substitute pay historically and said it is open to further adjustments; it has two full-time substitutes at the high school and is advertising continuously for additional substitutes. Administrators also plan schedule changes at the middle school to provide duty blocks for teachers to attend required IEP meetings without needing coverage.
Why it matters: Substitute shortages affect continuity of instruction and create scheduling and coverage pressures; committee members said the issue is a factor in other staffing and program decisions being discussed in the budget process.
