NEWS

Committee approves new substitute teacher rates

Posted 7/13/22

By ALEX MALM

The School Committee approved the FY 23 substitute pay rates Tuesday night, which will cut the pay for most positions.

Human Resources Director Kim Ruggieri polled other districts …

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NEWS

Committee approves new substitute teacher rates

Posted

By ALEX MALM


The School Committee approved the FY 23 substitute pay rates Tuesday night, which will cut the pay for most positions.

Human Resources Director Kim Ruggieri polled other districts in the state, as she has done previously, to see how Warwick compares.

This time Ruggieri said she didn’t hear back from as many districts.

“Not as many answered this time,” said Ruggieri.

Ruggieri doesn’t think as many districts want to share their rates because there is a “market out there.”

Ruggieri proposed that substitute pay for non-Rhode Island Department of Education certified teachers $130 for the first 30 days and $150 a day for days 31 to 135.

For RIDE certified teachers the pay is $150 for the first 30 days and then $175 for days 31 to 135. After 135 days, substitutes get step pay.

Ruggieri said that even though the rates aren’t the same as this past year they are “significantly more than it was pre covid.”

Ruggieri also pointed out that last year the district had different tiers for substitute pay which made it logistically difficult.

The pay for non certified teachers started at $125 a day and $225 a day for RIDE certified substitutes.

“It was very difficult to manage for my office and payroll,” said Ruggieri.

Ruggieri believes that the classified substitute positions which include custodial, clerical, and teacher assistants should remain at the same rate.

“I feel strongly that we need to keep them at the $15 that we’ve been doing,” said Ruggieri.  “It's very difficult to fill these positions. I don’t feel we can go back to the pre covid levels of minimum wage that we were paying.”

School Committee member Karen Bachus feels $15 an hour is fair.

 “Nowadays that's like the minimum wage,” said Bachus.

Ruggieri said that the district will be in the top third for substitute pay based on the districts that responded to her inquiry.

committee, substitute teachers, rates

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