ESS reports improved substitute fill rates as Hamilton County prepares for contract renewal

Mary Davis, vice president of operations for ESS, told the Hamilton County Board of Education at its Feb. 19 work session that the district's substitute staffing metrics have improved under ESS's six-year partnership and ahead of a planned contract-renewal request.

Davis said ESS had 826 individual substitutes working in 2025 and is aiming for a bench of 900; the district averaged 253 substitutes per day in the most recent fall and ESS reported an overall fill-rate increase from about 63% in the first full year after the pandemic to about 79%, later rising into the low 80s. "We ended last year, 24, 25 school year with a 79% fill rate," Davis said, adding the company now sees an 82% fill rate in parts of the district.

The presentation emphasized recruitment and retention strategies that ESS credits for the gains. Davis described a bonus program launched in September 2021 that rewards substitutes who work more days, on-site orientations at high-need schools, targeted local recruiting and online training. "This bonus program ... works phenomenally well," she said, describing the bonus as an incentive that helped increase average days worked to three per week.

Board members pressed ESS and district staff on compensation and certification. Several board members noted the minimum day rate frequently cited in the presentation—about $59 (also referred to as $59.97 in discussion)—and raised whether that base should be raised permanently instead of relying on bonuses. One board member compared substitute pay to nearby jurisdictions, saying higher base pay would better attract consistent coverage.

Dr. Brown and district staff described the tradeoff between increasing a guaranteed base rate and preserving a bonus structure that encourages multi-day coverage and higher average reliability. "If we remove the bonus, do we lose the three days a week?" one staff member said, paraphrasing the district's concern about incentives. The district also reported it spends about $6,200,000 per year on substitute staffing.

ESS said it has hired approximately 3,625 substitutes since the relationship began and hires roughly 500 per school year; the company reported a 30–35% turnover among substitutes and said it aims to reach a 900-person bench to meet demand. ESS also detailed onboarding procedures, background checks and orientation roles intended to improve candidate preparedness.

What happens next: ESS's current contract is due to expire at the end of June; staff indicated a renewal request will be forthcoming and that the district will continue to monitor fill rates, pay structures and whether additional permanent staffing or other building-level strategies are needed to limit classroom disruption.