The Hammond School Board on Tuesday debated whether to continue outsourcing substitute teaching positions. School City of Hammond has paid Kelly Services almost $4.5 million dollars since 2022 to provide subs.
Company representatives say they've increased the fill rate from 61 percent in the fall of 2021 to almost 91 percent in the fall of 2023. They say they've also required additional screenings and raised the minimum age from 18 to 21.
But with the district facing a fiscal cliff, board member Carlotta Blake-King believes cutting Kelly's contract is a no-brainer. "We're in a crisis, and here we are treading water on this topic when we're cutting everything else," Blake-King said.
Kelly Services' contract with School City of Hammond runs through the end of June. Blake-King's motion directing Superintendent Scott Miller to find a way to get out of it sooner failed by a vote of three-to-two.
For one thing, board member Cindy Murphy wanted to be sure the district had a plan in place for what's next. "Let's just say Kelly isn't with us tomorrow. We have zero subs. That would be utter chaos," Murphy said.
And she wants to make sure it doesn't make the financial situation worse. If a sub can't be found for a classroom, the district pays regular teachers $60 an hour to supervise those students.
