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Community member urges higher substitute pay; district staff outline current qualification pathway
Summary
A community member and former graduate urged the district to raise substitute teacher pay and reconsider hiring restrictions; district HR described current practices including AA and education-program requirements and use of paraeducators.
Jim Hopwood, a Prosser alumnus and community member, asked the board to increase substitute teacher pay and to clarify qualification rules for substitutes.
Hopwood said neighboring districts pay higher daily rates and suggested Prosser consider $200 per day to attract qualified substitutes. He also said he knows two individuals with AA degrees who were told they could not sub because they were not enrolled in an education program, and he urged the district to clarify administrative practice so qualified community members can serve as substitutes.
Dianna (HR/Payroll) responded with the district’s current approach: historically the district limited substitutes to those with a bachelor’s degree; leadership later allowed people with an AA degree who are enrolled in an education program to substitute; paraeducators with relevant experience may hold emergency substitute certificates and serve in classrooms; and the district sometimes assigns prospective subs to paraeducator roles first to give them classroom experience before placing them as lead substitutes. Dianna said changes can be considered but cautioned that people with no classroom experience would need additional professional development before being assigned as lead substitutes.
Why it matters: Substitute pay and qualification rules affect staffing stability and classroom coverage. The board heard community support for higher pay to recruit substitutes and a request for clearer guidance on who may substitute.
Ending: Administration said it will continue to review substitute recruitment, hiring and professional-development options; no motion or policy change was made at the meeting.
