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Superintendent reports declining sick‑day use; trustees question substitute and class‑coverage pay disparities
Summary
Superintendent presented multi‑year staff sick‑leave and attendance data showing declines in average sick‑day usage this year in several bargaining units; trustees raised questions about substitute and per‑period class coverage pay differences and asked for clarification on per‑diem calculations.
The superintendent presented a multi‑year analysis of staff attendance and sick‑time use across bargaining units at the May 6 board meeting, comparing averages from recent school years and noting a decline in average sick‑day usage in the current year for many groups.
She reported that CTA teachers’ average sick days were 12 in 2021–22 and 2022–23, 11.87 in 2023–24, and 7.79 in the current year to date. Teaching assistants’ averages moved from 14.24 (2022–23) to 12.2 (2023–24) and 7.6 as of March 31 this year. Building heads, administrators, cafeteria staff, paraprofessionals and clerical employees showed similar multi‑year breakdowns discussed during the presentation. The superintendent said the district is implementing an attendance initiative to encourage principals to have conversations with staff about attendance while still asking sick staff to stay home.
During the personnel portion of the meeting trustees approved instructional and non‑instructional personnel requests. Trustee Wise asked for clarification about substitute and class coverage pay, pointing to several examples with large differences — spare numbers cited in the meeting included short‑term substitute pay at $125 per day, long‑term substitute responsibilities (lesson planning, grading) paid differently, and per‑period class coverage rates shown as roughly $85.39 for one teacher and $174.56 for another. The superintendent explained that differences reflect per‑diem base pay, experience and certification (long‑term substitutes and certified content teachers receive higher rates when covering Regents‑level courses). Trustee Wise requested confirmation whether per‑diem rates include stipends, longevity or are strictly base pay; superintendent said the per‑diem reflects base pay and that contract negotiations remain the venue for substantive changes.
The board approved personnel items on the consent agenda and asked administration to provide further breakdowns of field trip allocations and of per‑trip district funding to inform future equitable funding discussions.
