Board approves substitute pay increases and incentive stipends for 2025–26 school year

Edmond Public Schools approved a set of changes intended to improve substitute‑teacher fill rates for the 2025–26 school year: an across‑the‑board $5 per day increase in daily substitute pay and continuation of a tiered stipend program based on the percentage of days worked during the semester.

District staff described the proposal as threefold: raise the daily rate by $5 (bringing noncertified substitutes to $85 per day and certified substitutes to $95 per day under the plan presented), continue the end‑of‑semester stipends at thresholds of 60%, 75% and 90% of days worked (with stipend amounts of $5, $10 and $15 per day at those thresholds respectively), and maintain the payout cadence (in December and at the end of the school year). Staff estimated that with the changes substitutes could earn up to $110 per day when stipends apply.

Board members discussed distributional concerns. Administrators noted two groups where fill rates are more difficult: Title I elementary schools and middle/high schools (due to extracurricular schedules and activities). The administration said they had considered targeted incentives for secondary schools but did not include that in the current proposal; they may revisit it later in the school year after additional data analysis.

Why it matters: The district cited substitute fill rates as a factor affecting teacher workload and student learning; the pay change and stipends are intended to increase the pool of available substitutes and reduce the number of unfilled assignments.

Vote: After motion and second, the board approved the substitute pay increase and stipend program by recorded roll call (Coleman, Jones, Benson, Underwood and Hopgood recorded as yes).