Absenteeism report: average teacher absence about 5 days through March; substitute fill rates near 80–85%

Dr. Budd presented an updated staff absenteeism report to the board on March 19, describing patterns through March 3 (the 115th work day of the school year).

Key findings presented: the average teacher had about five days of sick/personal/family illness absence in the first 115 work days; 10.7% of teachers had nine or more absences (the high end of the distribution) excluding those on approved long‑term leave. Dr. Budd noted the report omits long‑term approved leaves because those staff follow different documentation and substitution patterns.

He told trustees the district’s substitute fill rate averages about 80–85% overall but fell into the low‑70s on some days when weather events or late‑breaking absences made timely placement difficult. "One of the challenges we had on some of the days in February … is we had staff needing to call out later than normal," he said, noting late calls and daycare closures can make filling shifts harder.

Board members asked whether absenteeism varies by building and Dr. Budd answered there are patterns related to staff demographics and return‑from‑leave timing; principals will receive lists of staff in each building so supervisors can hold targeted conversations. The superintendent and board discussed adding broader HR metrics (vacancy rates, retention) to future staffing reports.

Next steps: principals will receive building‑level names for follow‑up; the administration will consider a deeper staffing/retention report for the June meeting with year‑end metrics.