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Wausau board delays decision on outsourcing substitute staffing after fiscal questions
Summary
The Wausau School District board discussed a proposal to contract EduStaff for substitute management July 8, 2024, but postponed action after members requested detailed cost comparisons, substitute input, and further analysis of retirement and service-quality implications.
The Wausau School District on July 8, 2024, discussed a recommendation to outsource substitute teacher management to EduStaff beginning in the 2024–25 school year but postponed the item to a later meeting after extensive board questioning.
Administration presented background: the district previously outsourced substitute management for the 2019–20 school year, returned the function in‑house in 2021 and had since evaluated three vendors. The recommendation favored EduStaff; administration said Frontline would continue to be used for placements and the district would retain control of pay rates and system data, while the vendor would hire a locally based onsite coordinator to work closely with district HR.
On costs and benefits, administration told the board the vendor’s fee would essentially be the district’s current payroll cost for substitutes plus a markup (approximately 26.5 percent) to cover employer taxes, insurance and vendor overhead. The presenter also said payroll would shift to the vendor and that substitutes would move from WRS-eligible employment to a private employer retirement plan (a vendor-provided 401(k)) if they became vendor employees; the vendor also could offer voluntary medical coverage. Administration said these changes could allow some retired teachers to take more substitute hours without WRS reemployment limits.
Board members pressed for precise fiscal comparisons (monthly and annual deltas), data on substitute counts and fill rates, and direct feedback from substitutes about retirement and benefits trade-offs. Several members expressed concern about service quality after an earlier outsourcing contract and said more concrete cost figures were necessary to judge long-term fiscal impact; one member noted the district might postpone changes if next year’s budget or an operational referendum significantly alters staffing needs.
After discussion, a motion to postpone the substitute management proposal for further study carried on a voice vote. The administration said it would return with detailed cost numbers, historical substitute counts, and additional stakeholder feedback before any future vote.
