Boulder Valley School District expands substitute teacher pay incentives, keeps base pay below local fast-food crew member rate
The Boulder Valley School District is making some changes to how they pay their substitute teachers.
The action comes after Your Reporter Sarah Horbacewicz found they currently get paid less per hour than a local McDonald's crew member. In Horbacewicz's initial reporting, she spoke with substitute teacher Crystal Gallegos who lives in Lafayette. She says she's subbed for BVSD for the last two years, and as a mom of four, she chooses to be a substitute teacher for the flexibility in her schedule. However, she says the current pay rate at BVSD is prompting her to look for jobs elsewhere.
"I am someone who has a master's degree in education, which I am still paying for, and I have the opportunity to go work for McDonald's in Boulder for more than I would make as a sub," Gallegos said.
August job postings for a McDonald's crew member in Boulder offered starting pay ranging between $19-$21/hour. While the hourly rate at BVSD depends on the school, if the $125 is divided by the average 8-hour day with a half-hour lunch, it comes to $16.67 an hour.
Following this story, BVSD is now expanding bonuses and making it easier for more substitutes to benefit. The incentives for certain days or longer commitments now include all or most substitutes, including para-professionals in special education. Substitutes say those incentives were previously hard to reach. Following the change, one substitute said while this is a good step, they still want to see a base pay raise.
The base pay for substitute teachers at BVSD ranks lower than most Denver metro area school districts.
Officials from BVSD say their pay is competitive and they are focusing on retaining full-time teachers and providing student services. The new policy can be read in full below:
