Teachers and department chair raise concerns about pay, long‑term substitutes and course staffing

During public comments at the April 7 meeting, Nick Ebner, science department chair at McCluer High, urged the board to reconsider proposed compensation changes that would reduce pay and remove benefits from long‑term permanent substitutes. “They will now be compensated at the same rate as a daily substitute who walks in with virtually no ongoing responsibilities,” Ebner said, and he asked the district to “restore a year one teacher salary and benefits for the permanent substitutes who commit to our students for the entire school year.”

Ebner also described what he called uneven staffing across high schools: McCluer reportedly has only two certified science teachers, which he said has led to the loss of programs and courses such as Project Lead The Way and the inability to guarantee a certified biology teacher or to offer physics. He said STEAM High is staffed with the same number of certified science teachers as McCluer and North combined despite serving roughly half the student population.

The public comment ended before the speaker could finish, and the transcript indicates the district will provide a response to the concerns raised. No formal board action on substitute compensation was recorded during the meeting.