Pay Rate Could Change For School Substitutes In Bridgewater-Raritan

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Changes to the pay rate for substitute teachers may be coming to the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District.

Board of Education(BOE) Vice President Emily Calistri shared that during the latest Personnel Committee meeting, the current substitute pay structure and how that compares to surrounding districts was discussed.

"The committee discussed ideas on how to continue making Bridgewater Raritan competitive and a desirable workplace for substitute teachers," said Calistri at the Nov. 18 BOE meeting.

Board member Jeremy Li asked if the district was more or less competitive in general when it comes to attracting substitute teacher talent. And he also asked if the district has experienced any difficulties with finding substitute teacher talent.

Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Dr. Dan Fonder said that when he was first appointed to his current position in 2021 the substitute teacher rate was $85. This was the same amount the rate was in 2001.

Since 2022, the Board of Education has raised the substitute rate for three straight years.

The base rate of pay for substitutes, effective Jan. 1, 2024:

• Teacher: $155 per day
• Teacher Assistant (Paraprofessionals): $155 per day
• Secretary: $120 per day
• Cafeteria/Play Assistant: $17 per hour

"Now we have a rate that isn’t the best around, but it's a competitive rate," said Fonder. "A lot of substitute teachers, they are not going all over the state, but they’re probably looking at two or three adjacent towns, and we were everyone’s third, fourth, or fifth choice. And that’s not where you want to be as a school district."

Currently, Fonder said the district does have a good pool of substitute teachers. However, the district doesn't have a high percentage of certified teachers who are substitutes.

To get a substitute credential, teachers need to have some college credits, and there’s a minimum age requirement. But it doesn't require a four-year degree or a teaching degree.

Fonder said the district is looking at attracting more substitutes with teaching degrees. Those teachers could not only fill in on daily substitute positions but also help out teachers who may be out for a longer period of time.

"Other districts have a pay structure where they sometimes will pay a different rate to people who are certified teachers. And that’s something that Bridgewater Raritan hasn’t done in the past," said Fonder. "That's something we talked a little bit about in the committee as something that we might want to look at in the future."

No action on changing the pay structure was formally taken at the meeting. The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Dec. 16.

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