OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — On Monday night, the Shawnee Mission District school board voted to increase pay for special education substitute teachers and substitute nurses.
Last school year, the district increased pay for standard and long term substitute teachers by $5 per day. The district said the move helped improve the amount of times schools found subs.
It filled 84% of teacher absences in the 2021-2022 school year. The rate improved to 91% last year with the pay increase.
The proposal Monday increased special education teachers to $155 per day. Substitute nurses will now make $30 per hour.
Estimates predict the pay increase would cost the district about $300,000 this school year. A mix of COVID-era relief funds from the federal government, and standard tax revenue would pay for the increase.
The Shawnee Mission School District uses Kelly Education, an employment agency, to help recruit substitute teachers and nurses.
The worldwide company works with several local school districts to increase pay and implement other programs to attract and retain high-level substitute teachers. In a statement, the company spoke the need for nurses.
"In particular, the increased demand for nurses outside of schools and stagnant pay rates in many educational institutions have led to a low nurse supply and high demand, prompting various school districts to implement necessary adjustments," the company said in a statement.
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