The School Committee resolved to increase substitute teacher pay rates after hearing Wednesday night that low wages may be hindering classroom instruction.

The matter was brought up by fifth grade teacher and union president Brian Fitzgerald during the public participation segment of the meeting.

School Committee members were initially asked to increase hourly pay rates for custodians, secretaries and food service employees.

Fitzegerald’s comments sparked a larger discussion that Superintendent Kimberly Shaver-Hood agreed was an issue.

“We do know that we need to get competitive,” she said. “We will need to address this at some future date, and not the distant future.”

Currently, substitute teachers are paid $65.15 per day, substitute teachers receive $66.95 after working 30 days in the year and permanent intermittent substitutes earn $77.25.

In the neighboring Old Rochester Regional District, school committees there raised rates to $80 per day for non-certified teachers and $85 per day for certified teachers, effective this September.

“Hopefully, the committee will approve a pay raise,” said Fitzgerald.

He noted that when no substitutes are available, paraprofessionals and special education teachers are called to fill in, which is detrimental to staff and students.

Committee member Cliff Sylvia said administrators and union members should open a dialogue to fix the problem.

“We are woefully underpaying our substitute teachers,” Sylvia said. “To say we’re going to put our heads in the sand is not a solution.”

Shaver-Hood said the money is not available in this year’s budget for an increase, but administrators will work towards a solution.

Following that, committee members did approve $1 rate increases for the hourly, non-benefited positions of custodians, secretaries and food service employees.

Custodian now earn $10.47, secretaries $11 and food service employees $10 per hour.

Finance Manager Michael MacMillan said that represents between an $8,000 to $10,000 increase in the school’s budget.