Senate committee extends short‑call substitute pilot, adopts lower pay floor to expand district participation

The Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee voted Feb. 29 to extend the state’s short‑call substitute teacher pilot for two additional school years and adopted an amendment lowering the program’s minimum daily pay floor to increase district participation.

Senator Aric Rasmussen, sponsor, said the bill renews a 2023 pilot that allows a short‑call substitute to teach up to 20 consecutive days in the same classroom under specific conditions, including a joint application between the individual and the public school, school training, a criminal background check and minimum experience or education requirements.

Why it matters: Districts told the committee the pilot provides needed flexibility but that the statutory $200 per‑day floor made participation cost‑prohibitive for many districts; an adopted amendment lowered the floor to levels tied to metro and non‑metro averages.

District data and testimony

Dr. Kristin Dahmer, assistant superintendent for Moorhead Area Public Schools, said Moorhead typically fills about 60–65% of daily substitute needs and provided single‑day examples showing dozens of unfilled classrooms: “In October, a 104 absences on 1 day, 51.72% of those absences were filled. That meant 29 classrooms went unfilled,” she told senators. Moorhead’s examples underscore committee testimony that unfilled substitute needs can interrupt services including special education and English‑learner instruction.

Rick Sandstead, Alexandria superintendent, and Lee Westrom of Wadena‑Deer Creek said districts welcome the pilot but objected to a $200 minimum that would force many districts to raise all substitute pay or absorb substantial added costs; Westrom said his district would face a roughly 20% increase in sub costs if compelled to raise pay to $200.

Union concerns and training

Caitlin Snyder of Education Minnesota said the union allowed the pilot in prior years but opposed lowering substitute pay. Snyder warned against relying on less‑trained substitutes for extended assignments, noting substitutes typically lack training in foundational literacy instruction and special‑education procedures.

Amendment and committee action

Senator Hauschild offered amendment A1 to lower the statutory pay floor to $150 per day for non‑metro districts and $175 per day for metro districts; committee members adopted the amendment by a 7‑5 vote. The committee later recommended the bill, as amended, to pass and referred it to the Education Finance Committee.

Next steps

The bill as amended will be considered for funding and inclusion in an education finance package. Witnesses asked the committee either to retain the pilot with flexible pay rules that allow districts in different regions to participate or to fund higher substitute pay directly rather than requiring districts to absorb costs.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment A1 (adjust pay floor to $150 non‑metro / $175 metro): Adopted in committee, tally 7 ayes, 5 nos (committee roll call). - Committee recommendation: Bill as amended recommended to pass and referred to Education Finance (voice/committee action).