PONDERAY — Substitute teachers and substitute staff are necessary to keep Lake Pend Oreille School District up and running. Wednesday, a substitute teacher asked board members to look into ways to raise the salaries of paraprofessionals.

“They [subs] are undervalued,” she said in asking the board to look into finding the funds to raise the salaries. “They are not nannies, but teach and are responsible for the education, development and safety of students.”

Paraprofessionals currently make $13,000 to $20,000 a year — often less than students working in fast food jobs. She went on to share that when subbing for a teacher, subs make about $80 a day versus $35 a day when subbing for a paraprofessional.

Coincidentally, the comments preceded a presentation by Superintendent Tom Albertson on staff absence from the third week of school and compared it to the third week of school 2020. Last year in the third week, there were 180 staff absences.

Albertson made a caveat that not all staff absences require a substitute. Last year at this time only 70 of those staff absences required subs. 52 of those gaps were filled by subs, said Albertson. 18 absences were unfilled by subs, but may have been covered by paraprofessional or other teachers whom filled in during prep-period.

This year from the third week of school in the district, 111 positions required subs, said Albertson. Of those, 73 were filled and 38 were left unfilled.

So far finding substitutes and maintaining staff absences has been tough, said Albertson. He informed the board that there are a few schools in the district that are getting very close to the point where school may have to close for the day if substitutes cannot fill gaps.

“It is all hands on deck with everyone chipping in,” said the superintendent.

The process of the board to close a school for the day due to staffing issues would be similar to calling a school day, said Albertson. That would a decision that is made the day of any closure, he added. LPOSD does not plan to close any schools but is planning for the worst.