The Superintendent may employ substitute teachers as necessary to replace teachers who are temporarily absent.

A substitute teacher must hold a valid teaching or substitute license. Substitute teachers with a substitute license may teach only in place of a licensed teacher who is under contract with the Board. A substitute teacher is not limited in the number of days that the substitute may teach in the District during the school year, except as follows:

  1. A substitute teacher holding a substitute license may teach for any one licensed teacher under contract with the District only for a period not to exceed 120 days beginning with the 2021-2022 through the 2022-2023 school year, otherwise 90 paid school days in any one school term.
  2. A teacher holding a Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations may teach for any one licensed teacher under contract with the District only for a period not to exceed 120 paid school days.

The Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) limits a substitute teacher who is a TRS annuitant to substitute teaching for a period not to exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year, but not more than 100 paid days in the same classroom. Beginning July 1, 20203, a substitute teacher who is a TRS annuitant may substitute teach for a period not to exceed 100 paid days or 500 paid hours in any school year, unless the subject area is one where the Regional Superintendent has certified that a personnel shortage exists.

The Board establishes a daily rate of pay for substitute teachers. Substitute teachers receive only monetary compensation for time worked and no other benefits. Long-term substitutes might be eligible for medical benefits only.

Short-Term Substitute Teachers

A short-term substitute teacher must hold a valid short-term substitute teaching license and have completed the District’s short-term substitute teacher training program. Unless otherwise permitted by law, short-term substitutes may teach no more than five consecutive school days for each licensed teacher who is under contract with the Board.

Emergency Situations

A substitute teacher may teach when no licensed teacher is under contract with the Board if the District has an emergency situation as defined in Sstate law. During an emergency situation, a substitute teacher is limited to 30 calendar days of employment per each vacant position. The Superintendent shall notify the appropriate Intermediate Service Center within 5 business days after the employment of a substitute teacher in an emergency situation.

Adopted: May 4, 1998
Revised: June 20, 2005; March 23, 2015; February 24, 2020; April 24, 2023