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Octorara board hears ESS substitute-service report; district fill rate at 54%
Summary
District staff reported on the first year of ESS substitute service, saying 58 substitutes are on the Octorara list, fill rates average 54% and ESS filled 707 assignments since August. Board members pressed for causes and possible incentives, including higher per‑diem pay.
Octorara Area School District staff gave the board an update on the district’s contract with ESS, the private substitute service, saying the district’s net fill rate is 54 percent and ESS has filled 707 substitute assignments since implementation in March 2024.
The presentation was given by Joanne (district staff member), who reviewed the timeline: board approval of the ESS contract in August 2023, a March 2024 implementation and follow‑up rate requests in June 2024. Joanne said the district has 58 substitutes who indicated they want to work in Octorara; 33 are new in 2024–25 and 12 have covered 20 or more days this school year.
Joanne said the substitute pool breaks down as follows: 15 instructional certification holders (Pennsylvania Department of Education certified teachers), 26 emergency‑permitted substitutes (bachelor’s degree required), 15 support substitutes, two food‑service substitutes and one substitute nurse in process. She said building‑sub positions—higher‑pay roles that require daily on‑site commitment—have been slower to recruit and remain a focus for ESS and district staff.
The district’s average daily substitute requests are about 14 per day; ESS fills about seven of those on average. Joanne said afternoon absences are the most difficult to cover. She told the board ESS estimates 15–30 days to onboard a new substitute and that ESS deactivates substitutes who do not accept at least four assignments per month.
Board members asked what happens when assignments are not filled. Joanne said building principals, assistant principals or teachers frequently cover missing classes; there is always an adult present, but she acknowledged those arrangements can limit planned instruction. A board member asked whether a $15 per‑day pay increase would be feasible; another noted some Chester County districts pay up to $200 per day and use targeted incentives such as attendance bonuses.
Joanne said district leaders will work with the new HR specialist to press ESS on onboarding delays, improve consistent use of the ESS system across buildings, recruit more building subs and evaluate the district’s per‑diem rate relative to neighboring districts. She said the ESS regional manager is engaging more with the district and ESS conducts 2–3 local recruiting events per week and partners with CareerLink.
Board members thanked staff and urged continued study of pay, local recruiting incentives and retention strategies ahead of next school year. The board did not take any formal action during the update.
