Board raises daily substitute pay tiers to $80/$90/$100 starting July 1

The Bledsoe County Board of Education voted April 6 to revise daily substitute-teacher pay, establishing a three-tier structure: $80 per day for non-certified substitutes, $90 per day for substitutes with a bachelor's degree and $100 per day for certified substitutes. Board members said the change is intended to improve recruitment for daily assignments while the district considers long-term step-scale revisions.

The proposal began as a discussion item about whether to align long-term substitute pay with certified teacher scales. Board member Mr. Freddy moved to raise certified substitute pay to $100 a day; the motion was amended and refined during debate to create the three-tier daily-pay structure. Members noted that long-term substitute assignments (more than 30 days) are handled differently and typically convert to a teacher's pay-rate formula.

Supporters argued the updated daily rates would make it easier to fill classrooms on short notice; some members said long-term assignments and step-scale restructuring require separate budget analysis. Administration said daily-rate changes are estimates for budgeting and that actual long-term hires would follow state rules about certified coverage.

The motion (including the amendment setting the 80/90/100 tiers to begin July 1) passed on a roll call vote recorded in the meeting record as unanimous among voting members present.

The board asked staff to calculate the budgetary impact and to include the substitute-pay change and any step-scale adjustments on the agenda for the special meeting April 14 so members could review fiscal effects before finalizing broader pay-scale changes.