ESS reports 92% substitute fill rate, outlines recruitment and incentives

ESS, the district’s contract provider for substitute teachers, presented performance and recruitment data to the Santa Rosa County School Board on July 16, saying the local team has raised fill rates since taking over the contract three years ago.

“Our first year, we got to an 80 fill rate. Our second year was 89%. And I'm really proud to say that this team has gotten us to 92% fill rate on this prior school year,” Jamie Marmorelli, regional vice president of operations for ESS, told the board.

ESS said it currently lists 674 active substitutes and has a recruiting pipeline of about 125 applicants; the company’s local goal heading into the 2025–26 school year is 725 active substitutes. ESS representatives said they have hired roughly 1,886 substitutes since they assumed the contract in 2022 and that about 212 substitutes later secured district employment.

Jessica Campbell, ESS account manager for the district, described retention initiatives that include a weekly pay schedule, optional benefits (medical, dental, 401(k), disability and vision), onboarding financial assistance, regular training, a “sub of the month” recognition program and a referral bonus paid to community members and staff who refer candidates. ESS also described a building-based substitute program in selected schools where a substitute is assigned full time to a single school to provide immediate coverage for last‑minute absences.

Board members asked about pay. ESS said substitute pay is $15 per hour for those with a bachelor’s degree, $14 per hour for support positions or substitutes without a degree, and $16 per hour for building-based substitutes.

ESS closed by asking the board to continue the partnership and said the company plans to push toward a 95% fill rate for the coming year.

No board action was required; the presentation was informational.