The Overton County School Board discussed Tuesday night plans to increase substitute teacher pay for the upcoming school year.
The move will help the system remain competitive with neighboring districts and ensure consistent classroom coverage.Board member William Abston said the district previously struggled with no-call, no-shows when neighboring Putnam County offered higher rates.
“It came to the point where we had the problem where we were calling subs getting them and then Putnam County would call and say, ‘Hey we need a sub’ and they would no-show us,” Abston said. “So we would think we had somebody for that position and then they no-showed us and that’s when we went to the percentage base. And yes, we did do it a little bit high on there. We have adjusted that since then, but I still believe that we should leave it at that percentage base.”
Abston said maintaining a percentage-based system allows the district to automatically adjust substitute pay as base salaries rise without requiring a new board vote every month. The move comes as the school district prepares to approve a dollar pay raise across the board.
Abston said the competitive sub wages allow for more certainty and consistency when the school system needed a backup teacher.
“That helps us when we do need a sub that we’re not having to fight to get a sub,” Alston said. “We’re at a place where we can easily get those subs.”
Financial Director Crystal Nelson said the percentage-based pay scale will see certified substitute pay rise to $150 per day. Director of Schools Kim Dillon said the adjustment follows a state-mandated increase to the minimum starting teacher salary, which is set to reach $50,000 for the 2026-2027 school year.
Dillon said the district currently pays more than the Upper Cumberland average of $101.89 for certified substitutes. She said the new $100 rate for classified substitutes also sits well above the regional average of $85.
“I think we’re very competitive on the sub pay now based on what I’ve been… I mean I could pull my texts and we’re pretty much ahead of most districts,” Dillon said.
OCEA Representative Jennifer Hull said many teachers have expressed a desire to see an even bigger pay increase, on top of the base pay raises mandated by the state.
“It’s a tight time for everybody and I know it is for the school system also, but just keep us in mind,” Hull said. “And all the staff, not just the teachers not just the certified people, everybody’s struggling so if there’s any way you can help anybody or everybody we appreciate it.”
Abston said the board has spent the last several years trying to balance the payroll after discovering the district was ranked second in the state for pay at one point. He said the district also provides a significant benefit by paying 100 percent of health insurance premiums for employees.
“You have to think that the starting out teacher if it’s fifty thousand dollars, and it’s costing us ten thousand dollars to do the insurance for that year that means their starting pay to us is automatically sixty thousand dollars,” Abston said.
In other business, the board honored the memory of former Director of Schools Dolphus Dial, who passed away recently. Dial served as director from 1996 to 1999 and spent several years as a member of the school board.
The board also recognized the retirement of former director Donnie Holman.
