Mat-Ab votes to outsource hiring of substitutes

MATAWAN — The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District Board of Education approved an agreement with a private firm for staffing substitute teachers on Sept. 21.

Board members, who met at the Cliffwood Avenue School in Aberdeen, voted to approve a proposal by Source4teachers, a private staffing firm that provides substitute teachers, aides, custodians, secretaries, as well as other related services to school districts throughout the state. The company proposed its services to the board on Aug 10.

Charles Kenny, Board of Education president, said at the Sept. 14 meeting that the company would be able to provide substantial savings for the district, amounting to approximately $160,000, which would represent a 10 percent savings in payroll.

The contract with the firm will begin on Oct. 1 and run through June 25, 2010.

"It's a new company and a private enterprise," Kenny. "The goal is to provide a regular source for districts of highly qualified substitute teachers. Although we have a great staff that substitutes our schools, at this time the Source4teachers will be better for the district because of the cost savings. We can't ignore that in this economy."

However, several board members had concerns about the staffing service.

"I understand the money saving and the logic behind it, but I feel a little uneasy not knowing what substitute is teaching my kids," Thomas Gambino, board vice president said previously.

"Substitutes are a difficult area and we need to be careful who is in front of our children."

School Superintendent Richard O'Malley assured the board at the Sept. 14 meeting all substitutes would go through the regular screening process for new employees, including a round of interviews and criminal background checks.

"In New Jersey, substitutes are somewhat homegrown," O'Malley said previously. "Substitutes tend to stay in the area they live and work, and they become friends and neighbors so the argument about not knowing your child's substitute is valid. But in these economic times, these are the opportunities I want the board to know that are available to them."

Kenny said he is "sensitive" to the financial concerns of the board during this "difficult economic period" and explained Source4teachers would save the district money over time.

"The continuation of these cost savings is one of the reasons why we as a district want these new initiatives," Kenny said previously. "We cannot sit back. We can't be complacent. If we want to move forward, we have to be creative."

Gambino had presented the board with a list of school districts that use the firm's services, which include the Asbury Park Public School District.

O'Malley explained at the previous meeting that not all school districts are included on the statewide list, explaining that schools can utilize Source4teachers in a modified version.

"There are two parts to Source4teachers," O'Malley explained. "Freehold Regional goes with them and they are not on that list because they only need high school teachers. They do not do a fullblown outsourcing, but they can use them. There are other districts that do that. That list is when you outsource the entire payroll and entire substitute part of the district."

All substitutes provided through Source4teachers are sub-certified, meaning the candidate has earned 60 credits toward a teaching degree. According to the company, 55 percent are certified teachers.

Substitute teachers currently employed within the district will not see a decrease in pay rate, but will be required to attend a Source4teachers training program.

"If we roll out the program, the transition period will probably be complete by November," Kenny said earlier. "I don't think the complete savings will be reflected this academic year, but it would be presumed savings."

If the board is dissatisfied with the Source4teachers services, the district has a 30-day opt-out policy.

"The safeguard is that we as a district have a right to oversee the program in the sense that if the administration has a concern, we don't sit back and have no control," Kenny said Sept. 14. "We are very concerned about the safety of children in our district and this will not jeopardize them. It is my understanding that any appropriate corrective understanding can be taken by our principals and our school administrators. We would retain that authority and retain that obligation."

The next board meeting will be held on Oct. 12 at 1 Crest Way in Aberdeen.