MOBERLY — The Moberly School District’s Board of Education approved new substitute teacher rates for the upcoming 2025-26 school year at a school board meeting.

This decision was approved at an April board meeting.

According to Moberly Superintendent Cristina Wright, substitutes with a state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education certification will receive $135 per day for the first 10 days of service, before earning $235 a day for each day consecutively taught after.

Substitutes with teacher certification will be paid $145 daily for the first 10 days of service, before also receiving $235 a day for each day consecutively taught after.

Classified substitutes will receive $120 per day.

Wright explained the difference in types of substitutes.

"A certified teacher is someone who has gone through four years of college, and they’re appropriately qualified to run their own classroom," Wright said. "Then the classified sub could be a paraprofessional, so they might be subbing in for a classroom aide, and that remains at the $120 daily. They don’t carry that same certification."

These new rates are the second raise in three years.

The raise is about a 23% increase for substitutes with DESE certification, a 16% increase for those with teacher certification and nearly a 4% raise in pay for substituting 11 plus days consecutively.

Additionally, classified substitutes will see a 20% increase.

Wright said she hopes the difference will entice teachers to move to her district.

“We are always working to be competitive to gain substitutes willing to sub in our district, to cover our teachers." Wright said. "We were hoping that this would entice folks to come to Moberly School District and want to substitute teach."

Currently, Columbia Public Schools pays its substitutes a lower wage.

A standard substitute receives $100 per day, while a certified teacher receives $110 per day. A retired certified teacher makes the most, receiving $135 a day.

One reason Moberly can pay its substitutes more is because they independently house its substitute system instead of partnering with a third party, which is the route the Columbia district takes.

Wright believes the raise will foster a better relationship with staff, students and community.

“We have great relationships with our substitutes, especially those who sub very regularly," Wright said. "We have some folks who sub every single day, and our children know their faces, they know their demeanor, and those substitutes really know our expectations and our rules and how to blend into the workplace. ”