Isle of Wight County’s School Board has approved a new pay scale for substitute teachers – one which will open the job to candidates without college coursework.

Historically, Isle of Wight County Schools has required at least 60 college credits or an associate’s degree, though state law only mandates that substitutes hold a high school diploma or GED and have either two years of full-time postsecondary education or two years of work experience with children.

“We are opening up our candidate pool in order to provide our teachers with more support,” said Human Resources Director Laura Sullivan at the board’s Aug. 10 meeting.

Isle of Wight uses ESS Northeast LLC, a school staffing agency, to manage its substitute teacher program. The school division’s new substitute pay scale specifies that a full-day substitute with a high school diploma and fewer than 60 college credits is to be paid $90 per day.

The rate is what Isle of Wight paid during the 2022-23 school year to substitutes with at least 60 college credits or an associate’s degree, who will now earn $100 per day for the 2023-24 school year.

According to Sullivan, anything lower than $90 per day would be below the $12-per-hour minimum wage that became effective in Virginia on Jan. 1.

Full-day substitute pay for candidates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree will be $115 per day, up from $100 per day last school year.

Candidates who hold a current Virginia teaching license will be paid $135 per day, up from last year’s $125.

Long-term substitutes will be paid $130 per day if they are degreed and $140 per day if they are also licensed. The rates reflect a $5-per-day increase for degreed long-term substitutes and a $4-per-day increase for licensed long-term substitutes.

The School Board voted unanimously with Chairman John Collick absent to approve the new rates.