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Shawnee Mission OKs Kelly Education contract, approves proposed sub pay increase and incentive program
Summary
The Shawnee Mission School District board authorized a contract with Kelly Education for substitute staffing and approved proposed rate increases and an attendance incentive; HR leaders said district sub fill rates remain strong but staffing vacancies and seasonal spikes require new recruitment and incentive efforts.
The Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education voted to authorize a contract with Kelly Education and to approve proposed substitute pay rates and an incentive plan for the 2025–26 school year.
District human resources and finance officials told the board the changes are intended to sustain substitute fill rates and broaden the pool of available substitutes as the district enters the new school year.
The board’s approval covers a contract with Kelly Education to provide substitute staffing services and authorizes paying substitute costs from operating funds, the district said. The motion to authorize the contract and pay rates passed unanimously.
Dr. Jeremy Higgins, associate superintendent of human resources, and Dr. Case, director of secondary human resources, presented data showing the district’s substitute fill rate dipped slightly from 96.15% to 95.15% for 2024–25 but remained above the 92% guarantee in the Kelly Education agreement. Dr. Case noted Kelly filled “just over 31,000” individual substitute assignments for the year and highlighted a marked drop in the district’s long-term vacancy count — from the mid-teens of thousands in earlier years to roughly 8,000 in 2024–25.
“We’re celebrating the number of absences being filled,” Dr. Case said, adding that the lower vacancy count reflects more positions filled with certified teachers before school starts rather than long‑term substitutes.
Sarah (Sari) Kreutzkamp, the district’s Kelly Education liaison, described recruitment and retention steps Kelly took in 2024–25, including a “sub of the month” recognition program and distribution of appreciation goodie bags. For 2025–26 she proposed two changes included in the recommendation to the board: a $5 daily increase across several substitute positions and a monthly incentive that would pay a $100 bonus to substitutes who fill 90% of available sub jobs in a month.
Kreutzkamp also told the board that, in collaboration with district HR, Kelly reduced its markup slightly (from 1.279 to 1.269), which the presenters said lowers per‑day district costs when multiplied across tens of thousands of assignments.
Board discussion covered recruitment strategies, state licensing changes that expand temporary substitute eligibility, and how principals manage unavoidable same‑day shortages (for example by reassigning support staff or deploying district “emergency building subs” overseen by Kelly).
Board members also compared local daily substitute rates and heard that Johnson County districts range roughly from $140 to $155 per day, with Shawnee Mission’s recommended increases designed to keep the district competitive.
Ending: The board approved the Kelly Education contract and the proposed substitute pay schedule and incentive program by unanimous vote; HR said it will monitor April–May and other seasonal spikes, adjust incentives if needed, and report back on fill‑rate performance during the school year.
