Shawnee Mission substitute teachers are getting another pay increase.
Why it matters: The district says it is still struggling to fill daily teacher absences, and the amended substitute agreement approved by the school board Monday night aims to get more subs to fill in for full-time teachers.
Key quote: “We are not satisfied with how we’re doing, but we are doing much better than we were last year,” said Michael Schumacher, Shawnee Mission’s associate superintendent of human resources. “In that vein, this is another continued effort to try to increase that fill rate.”
What’s Shawnee Mission doing? All daily substitutes will receive an extra $20 on Fridays, a move expected to cost the district up to $140,000, according to board documents.
- In addition, special education substitute pay will increase to $155 daily, which comes with an expected price tag of up to a $92,000.
The upshot: This comes as the district’s staffing contractor, Overland Park-based Kelly Services, confirmed it had failed to meet a 90% substitute fill rate that is part of its agreement with Shawnee Mission for the 2022-23 school year.
- Shawnee Mission’s daily substitute fill rates for the fall semester have so far averaged 85%, according to board documents, meaning 85% of teacher absences each day have been successfully filled by subs.
- The amended substitute agreement between Kelly Services and the district goes into effect Jan. 3. and will again push to have a fill rate average of at least 90%.
What else: The district plans to add up to five emergency substitutes to fill unfilled teacher absences, according to board documents.
- These substitutes will be paid at the higher daily rate of $175 and work five days a week.
- This will cost Shawnee Mission up to $90,000, according to board documents.
- Shawnee Mission also plans to reach out to current student teachers in the district to tell them how to become a substitute through Kelly Services.
Go deeper: Read about Shawnee Mission’s initial substitute teacher pay rate increase here.
