Jefferson City School District looking to attract substitute teachers amidst nationwide shortage with incentives

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Board of Education has approved a new bonus pay incentive for substitute teachers.

Beginning on Tuesday, substitute teachers will receive a $500 bonus for every 20 cumulative days they sub for the district.

“Like schools all across the country, our district has been impacted by the ongoing substitute shortage, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said JC Schools Deputy Superintendent Bryan McGraw in a release. “When substitute requests go unfilled, it puts a strain on all of the other staff members in a building, who end up being pulled from their primary responsibilities or plan time to help cover staff absences. We hope the bonus pay will not only help to attract more substitutes to our district, but also incentivize them to sub more frequently. Having a consistent presence of substitutes who are familiar with our schools will ultimately result in a benefit to our students.”

Officials say there is no cap on the number of bonuses a substitute can accumulate for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.

The bonus pay structure, which is not retroactive, is in addition to an increase in the daily rate for substitute pay JC Schools implemented earlier this school year -- from $100 to $110 for JC Schools retired teachers, and from $85 to $100 for non-retirees.