More Subs On Fridays In Hinsdale D86

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 on average hires more substitutes on Fridays than any other day of the week.

According to its data, the district employs an average of 11 substitutes on Fridays, with Monday coming in second at nine.

An average of six substitutes are needed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and five on Thursdays.

The district's data applies to full-day substitutes only. And it covers certified employees such as teachers and, in some cases, teacher's aides, officially referred to as paraprofessionals.

Patch obtained the information through a public records request.

A higher rate of absences on Fridays and Mondays is not unique to schools. A human resources trade group indicates that daily or seasonal patterns in absenteeism, including on Mondays and Fridays, may exist in companies.

In 2021, the Orlando Sentinel examined teacher absenteeism in Central Florida, finding the rates higher on Fridays and Mondays. A management professor referred to the trend as "Friday and Monday flu."

The newspaper reported that some substitute teachers specialize in working just on Fridays and Mondays because that's when the demand is greater.

Under District 86's teachers union contract, members get four personal days to conduct matters that cannot be accomplished during non-school time. Those days are deducted from teachers' sick leave time.

In 2023-24, District 86 saw a big drop in the percentage of teachers who missed at least 10 days, according to state data. The rate was 24 percent, down from nearly 50 percent the two previous years.

Last year, the statewide average was 34 percent.

Under Illinois law, the state metric excludes absences for professional development, leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, long-term disability or parental leave.