JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley School District is still having trouble recruiting substitute teachers, so the school board earlier this week approved an increase in their pay rate.

Kyra Bobak, assistant superintendent, said Wednesday that the rate has been increased from $80 to $90 a day.

That rate is increased to $100 a day for substitute teachers who are district retirees.

Bobak said the administration team last May asked the school board to increase the substitute rate in an effort to attract more candidates.

The assistant superintendent said the increase worked and that there was an uptick in the number of substitutes coming to Seneca Valley.

“We decided we weren’t going to extend that rate but we’d re-evaluate it for this school year,” Bobak said. “So at the beginning of the school year we realized we were still experiencing a shortage and thought it was a good time to ask the board for another increase.”

The higher rate will remain throughout the school year, she added.

“We’ll continue to monitor the data and hopefully see improvements,” she said.

Bobak said she again expects the higher rate will have a positive impact.