At a Board meeting toward the end of last year the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn School District raised the pay for substitute teachers in an effort to attract more substitutes. 

The ADM School Board approved new rates for substitute teachers at their December 13th 2021 meeting. The new rates are $165 for a daily substitute, $175 for a permanent building substitute daily rate and $185 for retired teacher daily substitute rate. Superintendent Greg Dufoe says the changes came out of having a difficult time filling vacancies.

“Just like virtually every school district in Iowa we were having a very difficult time filling our vacancies on a daily basis through the first semester of the school year.  In December we took a pretty aggressive plan to the Board to increase our sub pay and the Board approved it.”

Dufoe tells Raccoon Valley Radio the changes that were made late last year are already paying dividends in the district. 

“We have seen tremendous success. At last check we have reduced the number of unfilled teacher vacancies by 50-percent. So, we have definitely attracted more subs due to the increase in pay.”

Dufoe says the impact the change has had has been helpful for the district as there are less classes that don’t have a dedicated substitute teacher.