Spring ISD reports stronger substitute coverage but special-education staffing remains 'primary challenge'
Loading...
Summary
Human Resources told trustees Spring ISD's in-house guest-teacher pool has improved fill rates and incentive participation, but special-education teacher vacancies and low fill rates continue to drag overall coverage and will require targeted incentives and recruitment.
Spring ISD's chief of human resources on March 10 told the Board of Trustees that the district’s self-managed guest-teacher program has increased stability since moving away from a third-party vendor, but special-education positions remain the district’s most persistent staffing challenge.
"As of February 2026, Spring ISD maintains an active pool of 420 guest teachers," Dr. Terrell King said, outlining month-over-month improvements in coverage. He credited a board-approved incentive that awards $300 to substitutes who cover 15 days in a month (teachers) and $200 for paraprofessionals; participation rose to between 52 and 72 guests each month who earned the 15-day incentive, King said.
King highlighted special education as an outlier. "Special education staffing continues to require focused attention," he said, citing higher absence rates and lower fill rates in special-education assignments compared with general education. He explained federal law prohibits placing DOI (working-toward-certification) teachers in special-education classrooms and said the district will consider targeted higher incentives for substitutes who accept special-education assignments.
The HR presentation also noted a rise in overall certified staffing to about 80% districtwide (from about 77% last year) and stronger bilingual certification (about 87%); midyear vacancies were lower than last year overall but remained elevated in special education.
Trustees asked detailed questions about data breakdowns, the definition of interim versus DOI teachers, the proposed eligibility changes for interim teachers and the plan to reduce the teacher turnover rate (31% last year). King proposed eliminating the lowest-tier interim categories and requiring midyear interims in special education and bilingual roles to be in certification pathways.
What's next: Administration will bring follow-up materials on interim qualifications, proposed special-education incentive options and periodic staffing metrics to future board updates.
