DeKalb District 428 mulls ways to entice more substitute teachers

DeKALB – To help keep pace with neighboring districts, DeKalb School District 428 is considering increasing pay and benefits for substitute teachers for the 2025-26 school year.

Deetra Sallis, the district’s director of human resources, briefed the school board on the matter as an annual request. If approved, the increase would go to subs who are employed annually by the district.

“We have some really great, invaluable people in those roles, but we’re seeing it be very transient,” Sallis said. “We could keep some people and really support the needs of the buildings by increasing their pay.”

Under the district’s proposed plan, annually employed substitute teachers may receive an annual base salary of $46,213.

The district previously paid its annually employed substitute teachers $85 per half-day or $170 per full day of instruction, school board documents show. They did not receive benefits.

Sallis said the addition of benefits to the position is paying off for the district.

“They feel more valued, and we’re getting a better quality of individuals serving in those positions,” Sallis said.

The district, however, has not suggested an increase in the rate for retired substitute teachers or substitute teachers, officials said.

According to school board documents, they are paid $65 per half-day or $130 per full day of instruction.

Sallis pointed to substitute administrator pay, which previously had not been classified by the district.

“Currently, we don’t have a classification of sub administration,” Sallis said. “But we have found ourselves in a situation where we’ve needed administrators to cover a building because the principal and/or the assistant principal is out for an extended period of time, and we need to start building that pool so we have individuals to meet that need.”

According to school board documents, officials have proposed that retired DeKalb school administrators earn $525 per day and all others earn $350 per day.

Sallis said the proposed rate is comparable with what other districts are doing overall.

School officials are expected to put the matter to a final vote during the board’s first regular meeting in June.