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The Harlan County School Board voted to adjust compensation for substitute teachers during a recent special called meeting, increasing the pay rate.

Board chairman Gary Farmer called the meeting to order and called on Superintendent Brent Roark to advise the board of the school’s substitute teacher situation.

“Our number of substitute teachers has fallen to an all-time low,” Roark said. “It’s very difficult for our staff, when they miss, to get substitutes right now.”

According to Roark, the district’s pool of substitute teachers is down to approximately 50 substitutes at this time.

“Several of them will only work in certain schools, on certain days or on certain programs,” Roark told the board. “In reality, there are probably 40 or fewer substitutes that are willing to work. Several of the schools may only have 10 to 15 subs that are willing to work.”

Roark said the district needs to entice more people to become substitute teachers.

Farmer pointed out one school had several teachers out one day recently and could not locate substitutes.

Roark noted that currently, substitute teachers are paid $100 per day or less.

“For a fully certified teacher, the pay is $100 a day,” Roark said. “It’s $80 a day for what is referred to as a rank 4, that’s someone with between 64 hours and a B.S. (degree).”

Roark mentioned an individual must have 64 college credit hours to be certified as a substitute teacher in the state of Kentucky.

Farmer asked for a motion to increase the pay rate for substitute teachers to $150 per day for certified substitute teachers and $110 per day for non-certified substitute teachers.

The board passed the motion with no objections.

In other board activity:

· The board approved a second reading of Board Policy 9.3.

· A motion to authorize Roark to enter into a contract with a consultant to provide information on school board district boundaries was approved.

· Grant applications to the Frazier Charitable Trust were approved.