The Butler Area School District plans to contract with a private company to find more consistent replacements for employees who call off.
Upon recommendation from administrators, the Butler School Board approved a three year deal with Educational Staffing Solutions pending solicitor review to provide substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, and custodians.
ESS will receive 29% of the rate that Butler currently pays its subs for every substitute that is in class. Butler has arranged its own subs in the past but pays 34% in state pension fees even though the vast majority of those subs do not work enough to qualify for state pension.
All current Butler subs will have the opportunity to continue working in Butler Schools but as employees of ESS. Butler will still control the rate of what subs are paid which was increased this year to $100 a day.
A total of seven companies responded to Butler’s Request for Proposal and the four offering the lowest cost were interviewed. ESS was found to have a large number of subs already in network, a live call center, guest teacher training monthly on site, a recruiter/manager that will be based in the district, and some health care coverage which the district does not currently provide to subs.
It is estimated to take between 30 and 45 days for ESS to get their system up and running but they will guarantee 85% fill rate beginning next school year. Butler’s current fill rate varies between 80 and 85%.
