Lenoir City Schools board approves substitute pay increase and extends maximum consecutive substitute days

Lenoir City Schools Board of Education on Oct. 23 approved a proposed increase to substitute daily pay and took a first-reading vote to revise district policy to allow substitutes to serve up to 30 consecutive days.

Board members said the two changes aim to improve recruitment and retention of substitute teachers by aligning pay with neighboring districts and reducing turnover in longer-term assignments.

Staff presented a revised set of substitute pay schedules and a budget impact summary. The district materials identified a “proposed rate 3” option as the recommended choice; board members described that option as a roughly 30% increase compared with the district’s current top rate. Staff said the proposal also shows how the district’s pay would compare with nearby school systems and flagged the additional budget cost if the option is adopted.

Board members emphasized recruitment as a central rationale. District staff and at least one board member noted that the district is not competitive with neighboring districts under the current pay scale and that raising the rate could help keep substitutes serving in Lenoir City Schools rather than moving to nearby systems. The board also discussed the district’s contract partner, ESS, and noted ESS can implement the rate change immediately if the firm processes it.

Separately, the board considered revisions to policy 5.701 to extend the number of consecutive days a single substitute may serve in one assignment from 20 to 30 days. The board said the change responds to recent state-level policy adjustments and addresses staffing gaps created by longer teacher leaves, including paid parental leave.

Motions and votes recorded at the meeting: the board approved the substitute pay scale (motion by Lacey Murray; second by Mitch Ledbetter) and approved the first reading of policy 5.701 (motion by Mitch Ledbetter; second by Lacey Murray). Roll-call votes were recorded as “aye” from the members present on the substitute pay motion; the policy revision likewise passed on the board’s vote at the meeting.

The board asked staff to coordinate with ESS on implementation and to track the budget impact in upcoming financial reports. The district did not specify the precise budget line items or dollar totals for the change at the meeting.