Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Substitute Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District outlines substitute staffing shortfalls and steps with Kelly Education vendor
Summary
School officials presented April substitute data showing teacher fill rates near 70% but much lower fill rates for paraprofessionals; the district and vendor plan pay adjustments, targeted recruitment and possible building-based EA substitutes to improve coverage.
Superintendent (role: Superintendent) presented monthly data from Kelly Education showing the district faced sustained substitute staffing pressure this spring, with 342 sub requests in April and 2,300 requests so far this year.
"Last year our fill rate was 70.2% and this year it is 69.76," the Superintendent said, citing data through May 18. Staff told the board that teacher fill rates typically range between 70% and 85%, while paraprofessional and clerical fill rates remain much lower.
Board members pressed staff on short-notice coverage. The Superintendent said response rates vary by lead time: roughly 80% for requests 24 hours or more in advance, about 44% for 12–24 hours and roughly 40% for under 12 hours. For last-minute openings Kelly Education now makes personal phone calls rather than automated robocalls to recruit substitutes.
The district is working with Kelly Education on several responses: raising day-to-day pay for paraprofessionals to be competitive with neighboring districts, offering higher long-term rates to entice multi-week placements, and continuing vendor recruitment (staff reported 69 active Kelly-supplied substitutes, seven of whom are retirees). Staff also said principals and teachers have been covering shortages when needed and receive compensation for those duties.
Board members asked whether the district could maintain a pool of building-based EAs or long-term substitutes hired directly and paid at competitive rates. The Superintendent said the district is exploring hybrid approaches with the vendor — for example, onboarding building-based subs through Kelly so those substitutes appear in vendor metrics while reducing district HR workload — and will evaluate budget impacts.
No formal action was taken; the presentation was an update and the board was directed to follow up on compensation and recruitment options at future meetings.
