Bryan ISD board authorizes superintendent to negotiate substitute-staffing contract with ESS South Central LLC

The Bryan ISD Board authorized the superintendent to negotiate and enter a contract with ESS South Central LLC to provide substitute staffing services for the 2026-27 school year after a presentation by Executive Director of Human Resources Tommy Roberts and an ESS representative.

Roberts described the partnership's operational features: two full-time ESS recruiters focused on Bryan ISD, a continuous substitute pool, preferred subs available at a moment's notice and coordinated onboarding and background checks performed to district standards. An ESS speaker said the Red Rover substitute-management system provides identifying information (name, assignment, photo and an ESS ID) to campuses so front-desk staff can confirm that the sub who arrives matches the assignment.

Roberts said the district's fall fill rate with ESS was 91 percent and that ESS had helped hire over 250 individuals who now work in district roles. He reported a cost-analysis showing contracting with ESS is approximately $60,000 less expensive than running the service fully in-house and said the district was trending about $90,000 under its prior-year substitute usage costs.

Trustees asked about verification and campus procedures; ESS explained that substitutes have an employee ID and that campuses may Raptor-check the substitute or require government-issued ID when necessary. Following discussion, Dr. Julie Harlan Wolf moved to authorize the superintendent to negotiate and enter the ESS contract; the motion was seconded and passed.

The board approved the authorization by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the minutes provided.

Speakers quoted in this article are taken from Tommy Roberts (executive director of human resources) and an ESS representative (onboarding and identification procedures).