OCEA recognition highlights after‑school staffing challenges and pay concerns for subs and support personnel

Jennifer Aldridge, speaking during an OCEA recognition item at the Sept. 9 meeting, said the after‑school program faces staffing shortages and that lack of pay increases for after‑school duties has made it harder to recruit teachers.

Aldridge said organizers previously increased after‑school pay by a modest amount several years ago but that the pay has not kept pace with demand for staff. Board members and Aldridge discussed whether increases to after‑school stipends would require additional state or grant funding; Aldridge said she did not know how future increases would be funded and that the district previously used grants and reallocation to support after‑school pay.

On substitute pay and support‑personnel raises, board members noted earlier budget-year changes: the district adjusted substitute and support‑personnel rates in the prior budget cycle to better align with employee pay. Meeting remarks said non‑certified substitute pay was adjusted downward from prior levels (transcript lists $112.50 to $95) and certified substitute pay was adjusted as well; board members said the certified rate is now more in line with neighboring districts. A board member said restoring or changing previous support‑personnel increases would carry a district cost and offered a district staff estimate for the cost to rework past increases; the transcript contains two differing numeric readings for the estimated cost to revise the support‑personnel scale and the number should be verified in budget documents.

Ending: Board members asked staff to continue monitoring after‑school staffing needs and substitute/support‑personnel pay and to bring precise budget figures to the board for future consideration.