Grafton schools are considering a raise for substitute teachers

It’s never been easy to find and keep substitute teachers, but Grafton is finding it more difficult as subs are more reluctant to risk COVID-19 — especially at a lower pay rate than in other towns.

Superintendent of Schools Jay Cummings and Assistant Superintendent Kristen Gasper asked the School Committee Tuesday to raise the rate of pay for substitutes per day by $10.

“We want to be, especially now, as competitive as we can afford to be,” Cummings said.

This changes the pay rate to:

• $90/day for non-certified individuals, from $80;
• $95/day for certified individuals, from $85;
• $105/day for certified, retired Grafton teachers, from $95.

“Our subs are absolutely fantastic, the ones we do have are definitely worth more than $95 a day,” Cummings said.

Long-term substitutes are now paid $270/day, which would change to the per diem Bachelors step 2 rate immediately upon beginning their long-term assignment. The School Committee will need to amend its existing policy to make the change.

By comparison, area districts pay:

• BVT: $100/day and looking to increase
• Shewsbury: $90/day
• Westborough: $100/day
• Northborough-Southborough: $95-$105/day
• Northbridge: $90-$100/day
• Millbury: $80/day
• Sutton: $80/day

Predicting substitute costs is challenging because it is impossible to predict how many teachers will be out on a given day or how many substitutes will be available. The anticipated cost of the increase is expected to be $35,000 per year. This year’s budgeted cost is $341,700, which Cummings believes will be adequate even with the increase.

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