Polson School District increases daily substitute teacher rate to $120
courtesy photo
Retired stockbroker Rick Vaillant works as a substitute teacher for Polson schools.
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from Polson School District #23
POLSON — The Polson School District responds to its substitute teacher shortage by increasing the daily sub rate from $96 to $120. The daily rate had been $96 since 2017. “We have struggled to fill teacher vacancies since the beginning of the year,” said Scott Boen, director of human resources and communication. “We raised the substitute teacher pay to be more competitive in the labor market and recruit qualified applicants,” said Boen.
Teachers and support staff have been spread thin in the Polson schools. “Colleagues are covering for colleagues and principals are covering classes. We’ve been pulling paraprofessionals from their classrooms to cover classes, which means one less adult is available for duties and to assist with supervision. This, in turn, is impacting school policies, procedures, and discipline,” said Luke Mills assistant principal at the Polson Middle School.
The district has contended with the shortage in a variety of ways. “We have to piece something together, including pulling support staff from their classrooms or juggling teachers. On several occasions, four or more classes had to be placed in the auditorium,” said Andy Fors, Polson High School Principal.
Though the district’s received a sparsity of applications, the applicant pool has been quite diverse. “We’ve had a variety of candidates, such as college students, second-job seekers, stay-at-home parents, retirees, and those who are unhappy with their current jobs,” said Boen.
Two recent applicants were retirees who wanted to get out of the house. “I applied because my wife worked as a teacher, and I was at home watching too much daytime T.V.,” said Richard Vaillant, a retired stockbroker. Bill Griffin, another retiree, said being at home was driving him nuts. “I like being active and being around people,” Griffin said.
The district hopes to expand its substitute teacher pool with the increased pay. Those interested in working as a substitute teacher for the Polson School District may apply on the district’s website.
