Bristol, Va., School BoardAffordable Care Act could prompt leaders to hire substitute teachers from employment agency
Proposal to contract Kelly Educational Services tabled
Posted: Monday, November 4, 2013 10:47 pm | Updated: 10:58 pm, Mon Nov 4, 2013.
BY DAVID MCGEE | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BRISTOL , Va. – City school leaders could decide next month to get substitute teachers from an employment agency due to cost concerns related to the Affordable Care Act.
On Monday, the city School Board tabled a proposal to contract with Kelly Educational Services for substitute teachers. The board is now expected to make that decision at its December meeting.
“We’ve got a tough decision to make and this is new ground for us,” Superintendent Mark Lineburg said. “We’re trying to figure out how to navigate some of our part-time employees and be fiscally prudent. Costs are going up for part-time employees with the Affordable Care Act and substitutes fall under that. We’re trying to figure out whether it’s best to keep them or to out-source them to a company that deals with substitute teachers as temporary workers.”
The division’s current budget for substitute teachers is $175,000 and is expected to rise either way, Lineburg said.
“We can do it ourselves. The impact to the budget is going to be $30,000 to $50,000. If we keep them it will cost us a little bit more,” Lineburg said.
Currently, the division has about 35 substitute teachers and uses nearly half every day, Lineburg told the board.
“The daily average for the last four years is 15. Some days, we have eight, other days we have 20. The average is 15 per day,” Lineburg said. “If we hire 15, that is our fleet. You have some people who don’t want to work every day, so we would lose those folks. Also, on days when you need 20 and you have 15, you’re short.”
Board members said the proposal has too many unanswered questions.
“I’m not comfortable to vote on it. I’m not saying it’s not the right thing to do but it seems like anytime we do something like this we lose some control,” board member Ronald Cameron said.
Chairman Tyrone Foster voiced similar concerns.
“This may be the right thing to do but I don’t personally feel comfortable voting on something where I don’t know all the answers,” Foster said.
Vice Chairwoman Beth Rhinehart asked about the qualifications and willingness of people working for a temporary agency to stand in a classroom and teach.
“I think when you put folks in front of our children, you want them to be there because that’s what they want to do,” Rhinehart said.
Because the act, also known as Obamacare, forces employers to offer health insurance, the school division has already reduced hours of those not employed full-time, Finance Director Tammy Jones said.
“This year, as a precaution, we have limited substitutes and several aide positions to 27.5 hours per week. That has caused us to be short sometimes in our classrooms,” Jones said.
Kelly was the lone firm to respond to a request for proposals, Jones said.
Lineburg said he expects the board to make its decision next month.
“There are some legitimate concerns. We’ll take our time like we’ve always done and see what’s best,” Lineburg said.
http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_f440826a-45cc-11e3-8e09-001a4bcf6878.html
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Why not outsource teachers? Everything else is being out sourced. Careful what you ask for, or in this case what you vote for.
