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Venus ISD reviews substitute staffing shortfalls and vendor options including Kelly Education
Summary
District staff told the board that substitute fill rates fell short last year and mid-year, and presented ESS data and a summary of Kelly Education's proposal to reduce management burden and improve fill rates.
District staff presented mid-year substitute-coverage data and discussed options to increase fill rates, including vendor-managed solutions.
The ESS report covered August–December 2025 activity and showed prior-year field absences at 643 with 476 unfilled (a field fill rate of about 57%), and for the current year 810 field absences with 453 unfilled (field rate ~64%), indicating an increase in requests and a modest improvement in fill rate, by the figures shown in the presentation. Staff noted teacher unfilled/field performance and identified lead time as a key variable: absences submitted 24 hours or more in advance were filled at about 80%, while short-notice requests filled at materially lower rates.
Cost examples in the presentation illustrated a provider markup of 36.5% (example in transcript: non-certified pay $80 -> district charge of $109.20; district paid $122.85 in another stated calculation) and total December costs split by non-certified and certified substitutes (non-certified $72,727; certified $27,641 as reported in the presentation). Presentation materials also described recruiting and onboarding services, training and potential implementation steps; Kelly Educationwas described as offering a 45–60 day implementation and a proposed markup structure.
Board members questioned scope and noted the meeting agenda listed ESS data while the presentation included vendor comparisons; the presenter agreed to bring additional vendors and comparative data to a future meeting.
Why it matters: Substitute availability affects classroom continuity and may affect student learning; vendor-managed models shift administrative burden and have fiscal implications for the district.
What happens next: Staff will bring comparative information on additional vendors and further ESS data at a future meeting; the board did not take a final procurement vote at this session.
