Kyrene School District approves higher pay for substitute teachers

PHOENIX — The Kyrene School District Governing Board on Tuesday approved a pay increase for substitute teachers.

Substitute teachers in the school district that serves all of Ahwatukee and parts of Chandler, Guadalupe, Tempe, and the Gila River Indian Reservation will now be paid $175 per day, up from $115.

“In order to remain competitive in the East Valley and attract quality substitutes in Kyrene, it is necessary to raise the daily rate of pay for substitutes,” Executive Director of Talent Management Lisa Gibson said in a press release.

Long-term substitutes will also see an increase to $200 per day from $140, and retired teachers of the district who return to the classroom to be long-term substitutes will be paid $205.

The typical per day pay for a substitute teacher in Arizona is $124, according to Indeed.com.

The increases in pay come from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, the district said, which are federal funds that are designed to help K-12 schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those interested in becoming a substitute teacher in the district can contact ESS West, a managed services organization that provides qualified substitute teachers to districts, by email or calling 866-208-7454 to find more information about orientation sessions.

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