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Kelly Services presents substitute staffing data as trustees press for clearer local metrics
Summary
Kelly Services told the School City of Hammond board it filled 11,196 substitute assignments Aug–Dec with a 93.35% fill rate; trustees and public speakers pressed the vendor for clearer local‑resident counts, no‑show rates and consistency in its reported figures and asked for follow‑up documentation before deciding on next steps.
Tierra Burton, senior account consultant for Kelly Services, told the School City of Hammond board that Kelly filled 11,196 substitute assignments between August and December and achieved a 93.35% overall fill rate over that period.
Burton said the vendor maintains a pool of about 349 substitutes and offers recruiting, onboarding, payroll and benefits on behalf of the district. She described a 24/7 incident‑support line, background checks and training requirements, and said the vendor reduced incidents to 0.3% of total fills. Kelly said substitutes receive payroll, retirement options and other benefits as the employer of record.
Trustees pressed Kelly for additional, district‑specific data. A trustee asked how many substitutes are Hammond residents; Burton said “the majority” are local but did not provide an exact count and agreed to supply the number later. Trustees also asked for the percentage of substitutes with bachelor’s degrees and for a specific no‑show or mid‑assignment departure rate; Burton said she did not have those exact figures at the meeting and promised follow‑up documentation.
Public commenters and community experts offered mixed views. Anita Cox, a teacher and member of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, urged trustees to contact legislators about proposed state budget cuts and to consider how reduced revenue could affect substitute staffing. Cindy Murphy, a longtime community speaker, defended Kelly Services’ results—pointing to the reported jump in fill rates—and cautioned that returning substitute hiring to in‑house management could create financial and legal risks. Dr. Michaela Spangenberg of the Gary Education Coalition questioned the internal consistency of Kelly’s slide numbers and warned that some contract terms may have created operational dependency the district should review.
Board members repeatedly asked for a concise, plain‑language page describing what each district fund pays for and for more precise numbers from Kelly (local residency counts, no‑show metrics and contractor attendance tracking). Kelly agreed to provide the follow‑up information. The board did not take an immediate vote on contract renewal or termination during the meeting; trustees said they expect the additional data before making any decision.
The board asked staff to provide the requested Kelly metrics and to produce a one‑page fund‑usage summary for trustees and the public.
