Substitutes are a normal part of school, but recently students have been seeing the same substitutes around the school, and more teachers covering their classes when they are out. That is because there aren’t enough people willing to be a substitute. 

   The highest number of teachers that have been out in one day is 17 teachers, which is pretty high. So what does the school do when there aren’t enough substitutes in the building that day and there aren’t enough teachers to cover classes?

   “We call it a rack-and-stack. That’s when we would compile all those teachers that we can’t get coverage for and we would move them to the auditorium or the cafeteria depending on the time of day,” said Shauna Santy, office secretary. 

    The school is forced to use many of the same substitutes and that is because there is a shortage. There are not enough people willing to come out of retirement, or fill in as a day- to-day to be a substitute teacher. It wasn’t until this year that the shortage was recognized as a problem.

   “I think that last year was harder and im not sure that it was Covid per-say, but people were still getting sick. I just have more substitutes now than I did last year,” said Santy. “A lot of the time [last year] we only had three substitutes come in.”

    When students have a substitute, the teacher will leave plans with assignments that the students have to complete that day. Rarely do those plans include new material or the substitute actually teaching. 

    “Whenever there is a substitute in one of my classes I take it like a normal day,” said junior Makenna Potteiger. “Sometimes I get excited because I can finish early work at my own pace and then get to do other school work.” 

    There are some disadvantages in having a substitute for a class. Sophomore Rayonna Lane explained that when having a substitute it can be annoying because they do not know the subject that they are substituting for so if she has a question they can’t answer it.

    Covering teachers preside over a class for half of their planning period and then another teacher who has planning that period would cover the other half. 

    “I don’t mind covering other classes because for one, we are now getting paid to do it. After three coverages a semester we get paid so now we are getting compensated,” said Algebra I teacher Katie Grogg. “Also there have been times where I have been out and I needed somebody to cover for me so I don’t mind doing it because I know that at some point I needed somebody to fill in for me.”

    The substitute shortage is a nationwide issue, but Central has found that those that do come in often return.  

     “The substitutes are enjoying their time here so that is why they continue to come back here to be a substitute,” said Santy.