Substitute teachers at Colorado school district paid less per hour than employees at local McDonald's

The Boulder Valley School District serves families in some of the most affluent areas of central Colorado, but its pay for substitute teachers is among the lowest.

Crystal Gallegos lives in Lafayette and is a licensed substitute teacher. She says she's subbed for BVSD for the last two years, and as a mom of four, she chooses to be a substitute teacher for the flexibility in her schedule. However, she says the current pay rate at BVSD is prompting her to look for jobs elsewhere.

"I am someone who has a master's degree in education, which I am still paying for, and I have the opportunity to go work for McDonald's in Boulder for more than I would make as a sub," Gallegos said.

Current job postings for a McDonald's crew member in Boulder offer starting pay ranging between $19-$21/hour. While the hourly rate at BVSD depends on the school, if the $125 is divided by the average 8-hour day with a half-hour lunch, it comes to $16.67 an hour.

"I'm not sure if parents really know this is happening in their schools, but as a parent of a child who was in kindergarten last year, it made me nervous when I saw my child's teacher's name and no one was picking that job up," Gallegos said.

As a result, Gallegos says substitutes got together on Facebook and made a list of what they were getting paid across 20 different districts.

"Cherry Creek is among the top; they pay $210 a day to $240 a day... I do also work for Adams 12 at the rate of $180 a day, because I am a licensed teacher...," Gallegos said, "Boulder Valley is all the way down at the bottom at $125 a day."

Boulder Valley says they've put in bonuses for extended or hard-to-fill sub spots in order to supplement that pay, including $1000 for 30 days.

However, some substitutes like Ginny Mitchell say they're hard to get. 

"I feel great when I'm working there, but I feel a little bit undervalued…" Mitchell said, "Once I looked at all of my special ed days, I couldn't really ever make it. It would take almost the whole school year to get that $1,000 because the positions for Para Pros in special ed are not included.

Boulder Valley School District declined to interview, but Dr. James Hill, the BVSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, sent the statement:

"We are deeply grateful to our substitute teachers and the important role they play in keeping our classrooms running smoothly when teachers are absent. Many are retired BVSD teachers who choose to come back and continue supporting our students and schools. BVSD sets substitute pay to be sustainable, competitive and aligned with district priorities, which is why we've paired steady rates with incentive bonuses to target the hardest-to-fill days and positions. Our primary aim is always to keep resources focused on retaining full-time teachers and providing student services."

For the first two weeks of this year, BVSD says 92% of their substitute positions have been filled.

But Gallegos showed Your Reporter Sarah Horbacewicz the listings she can accept for BVSD compared to Adams 12, and there were notably more openings for BVSD for the next school day.

While rates have changed over the last few years, BVSD says current rates are meant to be sustainable for their budget.

"I want to serve my community. I love having the opportunity to walk to work... but just driving down to 87 another 10 minutes opens the door to more financial possibilities for my family," Gallegos said.

And Mitchell hopes more families can learn about what their students' teachers experience beyond the classroom.

"Students are affected. Teachers are affected," Mitchell said, "I'm just wondering, what is a school district without their teachers?"