Utah school districts with a program for attracting more substitute teachers

West Jordan, Utah — The Jordan School District is incentivizing up to $500 just to start being a substitute teacher because of the number of subs. needed in Utah schools continues to rise. It’s a program that Copper Hills High School Principal Bryan Veazie hopes works well.

According to Veazie between one and three positions go unfilled every single day.

“Last year was probably the most difficult year in the history of education and that this year is likely the most important,” Veazie said. “[They] are tired they really didn’t get the break that they need. We find that with those empty positions that it becomes quite a scramble.”

Every day across the district there are 200 to 300 sub positions. They come up short and teachers and faculty must cover where they can.

“If they have the time available and if they have an interest in doing something outside the box, I encourage them to be a substitute teacher,” Veazie said.

According to Jordan District Communications Director Sandy Riesgraf, “This is a great time to try it out. See if you like it and maybe you like working in our schools.”

The program “Temporary Substitute Teacher Incentive Pay Program,” will provide temporary incentive pay up to $500 for substitute teachers who work a required number of days between October 25, 2021, and December 15, 2021, without canceling an already accepted substitute teaching job according to the district.

Ultimately for the district, they say, “We hope this program will relieve some of the impacts on teachers by attracting new substitute teachers, incentivizing and increasing the availability of current substitutes, and reducing cancellations.”