The Vermilion School Board will take up the issue of substitute pay at its Thursday meeting.
At a committee meeting this week, board members approved a proposal to increase pay for teacher and support staff substitutes.
At present, it appears to be a two-pronged problem, since the board is needing more subs because of COVID and quarantine requirements - but the board hasn't raised sub pay in 16 years.
With an average need for 90 subs a day, the need has increased, but the board is only able to find roughly 64 subs a day, says Assistant Superintendent Paul Hebert.
Here's what Hebert suggested, and the board committee approved. It won't be final until the whole board approves it.
For substitute teachers with no college degree, who work 7.5 hours a day, the pay would increase from $55 per day to $70 per day.
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For substitute teachers with a college degree, the pay would increase from $65 to $75 per day.
For substitute teachers who are certified, their pay will increase from $75 per day to $80 per day.
Support worker subs also would get raises, and their pay rates would be standardized, Hebert said. Support subs would now make $70 per day for 7.5 hours of work, except for bus monitors, whose pay would be increased to $50 per day, he said.
The shortage of substitutes, in addition to the pay, is probably attributable to the same reason for the increased need of them, Hebert said.
"We've been short-handed for several years, but it's been exacerbated by COVID," Hebert said. "But it was time for a raise for our substitutes regardless. It was time to up the pay anyway, because 2006 was the last time we could find that they got a raise."
If the board approves the changes, it would cost approximately $150,000 to fund the increases, Hebert said. The item is on the board's consent agenda for Thursday's meeting.
If you'd like to be a substitute in Vermilion Parish, you can contact the personnel department. Subs must pass a background check and fill out some paperwork, and the system provides an inservice session by way of training.
