Recruiting and retaining substitute teachers remains a challenge for the St. Joseph School District. Although the St.
Joseph School District has gained ground in regard to teacher and staff pay in the last year, pay rates for substitutes have remained the same over the last several years, and the need for substitute teachers is still great. Longtime substitute teacher M.J.
Clapp said that pay rates, lack of benefits and related factors pose a recruiting challenge for substitute teachers. "We received a small raise when Edustaff took over as the subcontractor and recruiter for substitutes a few years ago," Clapp said. "But, there are unfilled positions every day.
" Openings include long-term positions, where substitutes can take on a class for weeks at a time. The pay scale of $115 per day remains the same until after the sixth week, when substitutes then receive a $10 per day raise during the rest of that particular long-term assignment. "Teachers do a great job of preparing their lesson plans and supporting us as substitute teachers," Clapp said.
"That makes our jobs easier. Substitutes can work every day, but there are no benefits, and bonds like this last one that passed don't often apply to substitute teachers. That seems like a hindrance to recruiting substitutes.
" Dr. Brian Kraus, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the district, said the daily need for substitutes for September was about 68 openings per day. He said that although there are over 1300 potentia.