Board hears Kelly Education presentation on outsourcing substitutes; members request ROI and bill‑rate details

District administrators told the board April 24 that substitute-teacher coverage remains a persistent operational challenge and described preliminary discussions with Kelly Education about outsourcing coverage.

Dr. Lohse and Business Director Morghese summarized local challenges: the district’s current daily fill rate for substitute positions runs roughly 60%–80%, and internal coverage practices are expensive and reduce teachers’ prep time. Kelly Education representative Brandy Meisenheimer said Kelly could likely achieve an 80%–85% fill rate, would become the employer of record for substitutes, handle onboarding/payroll and mirror district pay scales while offering additional benefits and recruitment resources. "We never charge a fee to the district unless someone is in your building working," Meisenheimer said, describing how Kelly bills only when staff are placed and noting a 90‑day conversion arrangement if a substitute transitions to district employment.

Board members pressed for clear cost comparisons and bill‑rate detail. At the meeting the district cited its current daily substitute pay as $130, with a long‑term daily rate of $241.50; Kelly representatives described typical bill rates in peer districts in the high‑eighties to mid‑nineties (percentages were discussed in the meeting), but the precise district bill rate and markup were not finalized at the time of the presentation. Administrators and board members agreed that more detailed financials — including the bill rate, markup, and overall ROI compared to current internal-cover costs — are required before any final decision. Dr. Lohse said the board could consider an action item in May after receiving that analysis.

Kelly representatives also proposed that the vendor could fill specialized vacancies (special-education related services and nursing) that the district has struggled to fill internally, and noted a 60‑day out provision for district termination of the arrangement if necessary.