Retired teachers who substitute in Indian Prairie School District 204 this year will make less for each day of subbing than they did last year, after the school board approved a pay cut for the role last week.
The district’s pay rate for retired teachers working as substitutes had been set at $310 a day last year, but will be $200 each day heading into the new school year — which began on Monday.
‘Significant’ savings projected from retiree sub pay cut
Board President Laurie Donahue abstained from a vote on the matter, since she subs in the district, and board member Catey Genc was absent. But the rest of the panel unanimously approved the pay cut for retired teachers working as subs in an effort to save money.
In a memo, Carey Beth Harry, chief human resources officer, said the decrease in pay rates for retired teacher subs is expected to save $400,000 in the 2027 budget year.
Donahue called the savings “significant” in a challenging financial time when, “every penny is going to count.”
Board member Mark Rising said the district has faced cost increases recently through two employment contracts and cuts to state and federal funding sources and reimbursements.
Vendor costs are also on the rise for several services, Rising said. And when board members learned their pay rate for retired teachers as subs was “significantly above comparison districts’ rates,” according to Harry’s memo, they chose to make an adjustment.
“We had to make some tough cuts,” Rising said. “None of us are happy about this.”
‘No one a teacher would want more’ than a retiree
Despite the pay decrease, Rising said the district values the assistance of retirees as subs just as much as before.
“Our board has always highly valued our retired teachers, as evidenced by the rate we paid the past few years,” Rising said. “The experience, the dedication, the passion — there’s no one a teacher would want more than a retired teacher as a sub for their class.”
Superintendent John Price said the district plans to reevaluate substitute pay rates yearly to ensure Indian Prairie remains competitive with other districts.
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