The LaSalle Parish School Board (LPSB) revised their substitute teacher pay policy to allow retired teachers to earn more money in an effort to resolve the substitute teacher issue in the system. The action was enacted during the October 3 meeting of the Board.
The problem with the former policy is that there is a different pay scale for individuals who possess a valid teaching certificate than those who do not possess the certificate.
Because retired teachers are now unable to maintain their teaching certificates due to state changes, the substitute pay scale does not allow them to be paid at a higher rate as those who do possess a valid certificate.
It was noted during the Board’s finance committee meeting the week prior that retired teachers are outstanding substitutes and the Board wants them to come back and be substitutes, but the policy was not conducive in regards of pay for them to do so.
It was also noted that the discrepancy in pay for those once certified teachers was brought to the attention of the board by retired teachers, many of whom would welcome the opportunity to return to the classroom as substitutes if the pay was worth it.
The policy revision adopted last week allows the LPSB to honor the teaching certificate of retired teachers who retired with a valid teaching certificate for the purposes of the pay scale, meaning higher daily and monthly substitute pay rates for those retired teachers.
Substitutes who possess a valid teaching certificate are paid $80.50 per day as opposed to an individual who holds a Bachelor’s Degree but is not certified, whose rate is $65.50 per day.
Another revision in the substitute scale concerned the number of consecutive days substitutes teach in order to receive an additional pay rate.
The policy formerly stated that a substitute with a B.A. must substitute for 30 consecutive days to receive the daily rate of a beginning teacher, a major increase in pay.
The Board amended that to replace 30 days with 24 days, due to the new four-day school week. The revision of changing the extended time with higher pay was made for substitute bus drivers and janitors as well.
Also in the revision, substitute bus drivers had their pay increased, from $50 per day to $62 per day and $25 per route to $31 per route.
It was noted that projections seem to indicate that with the new four-day school week, absences from employees should decrease as they have Monday off to take care of personal matters. However, Board members noted it is too early in the school year to determine if absences have declined and the need for substitutes has decreased.
All of the rate increases were retroactive to August 1, 2023, reflective with the start of the new school year.
Also at the meeting relating to personnel, the Board voted to approve service contracts for Speech Pathologists Tiffany Cater and Madelyn Hudnall, Physical Therapist Elizabeth Henderson and LaSalle General Hospital for speech/occupational therapy services. The services are reimbursed through the Medicaid program.
LaSalle Parish Special Education Supervisor Jenene Bignar noted that the need for these specialized services continues to increase each year, indicated by the fact that last year the system had 288 students and the latest numbers from this year are 310 students.
In other business, the Board voted to: -grant out of state travel for LaSalle High School FFA members and chaperones to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN, October 30-November 4, 2023.
-entered into agreements with Femi Adegboyega, Honeycutt Pharmacy, Inc. and Matthew B. Bullard, Bullard Drug and Wellness, to provide flu shot clinics for the LaSalle Parish School System for the Jena and Olla area schools, respectively.
-accept a quote from United Automation in the amount of $19,019.00 for an intercom system at LaSalle High School.
The Board also passed the following proclamations: -proclaimed October 9-13 as National School Lunch Week.
-proclaimed October 16-20 as National School Bus Safety Week.
-proclaimed October 23-31 as National Red Ribbon Week.
