Board hears substitute coverage report; district cites 82% fill rate, pockets of need at Cromer and Sauk Trail

The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District board heard a detailed report on substitute coverage, general leave and internal staffing burdens at its April 7 meeting.

District presenters said the substitute fill rate has improved to roughly 82% under a new contract with EduStaff, while general-leave requests are down from last year. Staff noted, however, that several schools — particularly Cromery Middle School and Sauk Trail Elementary School — continue to have substantially lower fill rates and are bearing a heavier “tax” when internal staff must cover unfilled classrooms.

The report, delivered by Director Barb Buffington and specialist Sherry Smith, said the district’s substitute pool as of Feb. 28, 2025, stood at 307 substitutes employed through EduStaff (compared with 297 the prior year under Teachers on Call). Smith said average fill rates are “currently at 82%,” compared with an 80% fill rate at the same point last year. The report also noted a reduction in approved general-leave requests year-over-year: January–February requests fell from 11,781 to 10,061, and the percentage of requests denied dropped from 2.1% last year to 1.46% this year.

Sherry Smith said the district now employs about 7.325 permanent building substitutes assigned across eight schools, down from 13.4 in the prior year; she said that difference makes the 82% fill rate more significant because there are fewer permanent subs left in place.

Board members pressed staff for details about how unfilled absences are covered. Smith said the district relies on internal coverage when EduStaff or a permanent sub is not available — staff may cover during preparation time, administrators sometimes supervise classrooms, or teachers temporarily combine classes. “It’s a burden on them,” Smith said of staff who are asked to provide internal coverage.

Board members asked about contract terms with EduStaff, whether numeric fill-rate goals can be written into contracts, and how the district’s pay compares to neighboring districts. Smith said the contract contains no fixed numerical fill-rate guarantee; district leaders can and have asked the provider to focus recruitment efforts on schools with the greatest need, and EduStaff supplies a district services manager who actively recruits in the community. Smith said the district’s substitute pay places it near the top quartile for teacher substitute pay, while paraeducator substitute coverage remains the hardest to fill.

The presentation included building-level data showing areas of improvement and concern. Glacier Creek improved from a 54% fill rate last year to 73% this year after targeted recruiting; Cromery dropped from 88% to 73%, and Sauk Trail dropped from 82% to 74%. Smith said Cromery’s increase in unfilled absences (from 33 unfilled absences last year to 138) creates “a huge burden on that school building.”

Board discussion ranged from operational questions about internal coverage to broader concerns about substitute training requirements and whether EduStaff’s required compliance training should be paid. Tabitha Hanson and others raised that EduStaff requires new compliance training for substitutes that some subs said was unpaid; Smith said the district has raised that concern with the provider and that EduStaff was checking the issue.

The board asked staff to continue monitoring and to return with year-end data in July. District staff listed Cromery and Sauk Trail as priority sites for additional recruitment and support.

The board did not take formal action on this item; staff will return with follow-up data and suggested next steps.