The board authorizes the employment of a certificated substitute in the absence of a certificated staff member.  In addition, the district may use a substitute in place of a regularly contracted staff member when:

A.   Enrollment uncertainties exist at the beginning of a school year; or

B.   Resignations of regular staff do not allow sufficient time for the district to employ an immediate replacement.

On either of the latter occasions, the district will employ a contracted staff person within a reasonable time.

The superintendent will be responsible for establishing procedures by which teachers request substitutes and by which substitute teachers in the district are assigned, employed and compensated.

The board authorizes the employment of a spouse of an officer as a substitute teacher when the superintendent deems that there is a shortage of substitute teachers in the district.

Retired teachers or administrators may work up eight hundred sixty-seven (867) hours of employment.

If the superintendent reasonably anticipates that the list of qualified, willing substitutes will be exhausted, emergency substitute certification may be sought from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for persons not fully qualified for a teaching or substitute certificate.  Substitutes holding emergency certification may only be assigned work when the list of qualified substitutes is exhausted.

The board authorizes the employment of a classified substitute in the absence of a classified staff member when a program will be adversely affected by the regular staff member’s absence and when a substitute can perform the duties in a reasonable manner.  A classified substitute employee’s eligibility to purchase retirement service credit will be determined according to RCW 41.35 and retirement system rules.  Substitute classified employee means a classified employee who is employed by the district exclusively as a substitute for an absent employee. The superintendent is authorized to establish procedures relating to the use of substitute classified staff.

By October 1 of each year, the District will report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction: 1) The number of substitute teachers hired per school year; 2) the number of substitute teachers hired under the expedited certification process for out-of-state teachers; 3) the full daily compensation rate per substitute teacher; and 4) the reason for hiring the substitute teacher.

Cross References:
Conflicts of Interest - Policy 1610
Temporary Administrators - Policy 5612

 Legal References:
Employment Contracts - RCW 28A.330.240
Hiring and discharging employees - Written leave policies - Seniority and leave benefits of employees transferring between school districts and other educational employers -  RCW 28A.400.300
Certain certificated employees exempt from chapter provisions -  RCW 28A.405.900
Certification - Duty of professional educator standards board - Rules -  Record check - Lapsed certificates - Superintendent of Public Instruction as administrator -  RCW 28A.410.010
Postretirement employment - Reduction or suspension of pension payments -  RCW 41.32.570
Washington school employees' retirement system - Chapter 41.35 RCW
Interest in contracts prohibited – Exceptions - RCW 42.23.030(9)

Management Resources:
Legislature refines the retire/rehire law - Policy News, August 2011
Substitute Employment - Policy News, June 2008
Legislature Authorizes "Retire-Rehire" - Policy News, August 2001
Policy & Legal News - July 2016

Highline School District 401
Adopted by the Board: August 2000
Revised by the Board: 3.04, 6.12, 9.16
Classification: Priority