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Vendor ESS reports 90% overall fill rate for substitutes; district targets custodial and food-service coverage
Summary
ESS reported it filled just over 15,000 "subrequired" absences at a 90% fill rate (July 2024'June 2025) and flagged lower coverage for custodial and food-service positions. The district discussed cost-saving strategies to reduce sub budget strain.
Jessica Davis, senior regional manager for ESS in South Carolina, presented substitute coverage data for July 2024 through June 2025, saying the vendor filled just over 15,000 subrequired absences with a 90% fill rate this year (the previous year was 16,484 fills at a 93% rate). "We filled just over 15,000 absences and came in at a 90% fill rate rate overall for the school year," Davis said, and she noted the largest absence categories were vacancies (34%), sick leave (29.7%) and personal leave (12.56%).
District staff and board members discussed strategies to reduce substitute budget pressure, including limiting in-service training that requires day-long coverage, reducing substitute coverage for teacher assistants and clerical staff except in planned long-term absences, and reevaluating long-term substitute pay rates. ESS said it conducts classroom-management and role-specific training and works with school leads to orient substitutes for roles such as custodial and nursing.
