Big raises — relatively speaking — are coming in one of the world's most thankless jobs.

Substitute teachers in at least six Utah school districts are getting raises next year — in Murray and Granite, as high as 36 percent. The extra money comes as several districts say they're struggling with a substitute teacher shortage.

"It's all strategic," said Rob McDaniel, personnel director in Murray School District. "We can't afford not to be competitive with our neighbors."

In Murray, pay stayed the same for subs with a high school diploma, at $57 a day. But those with 60 hours or more college credit will make $83 a day, up from $61 to $75 a day last year. Certified teachers will earn $91 per day, versus $77 last year.

The district is using one-time money from its fund balance — about $25,000 worth of a $1.5 million pot — for the pay raises, business administrator Tim Leffel said. The salaries will be budgeted to continue next year.

Murray's new wages are in line with surrounding Granite and Jordan school districts, the state's two largest.

In Jordan, subs with college degrees — at least an associate's is required for the position there — will make $82 a day, versus $62 to $66 last year. That's as much as a 32 percent raise. Licensed teachers working as substitutes got a $20 pay raise, for $90 a day. Retired teachers will earn $106, or $14 more a day.

Granite's rates are similar, with a $20 raise for high school graduates, for $74 a day. College graduates will get $22 extra a day, or $82. Retired teachers will earn the same as Jordan retirees, at $106 a day. Substitutes working more than 90 days in a row get just over $155 a day.

"I think it will make a little difference," Granite's executive director of human resources Mike Fraser said of the raises' effect on the substitute teaching pool. "We're having a lot of substitute teachers who left for greener pastures come back to us."

Substitute raises in Alpine and Davis school districts were more modest, at $8 to $10 a day and $2 or $3 a day, respectively. Alpine substitute salaries now range from $55 to $85 a day; Davis', from $54 to $90 a day.

The pay raises come as several school districts say they struggle with a substitute teacher shortage.

Granite has about a 1,000-substitute pool; about 350 of them work regularly. It places an average 180 substitutes a day.

Still, the district is getting caught with unmanned classrooms, for which schoolteachers now are paid to fill in on their preparation time, Fraser said. Such a thing once was unheard of.

"We have a 'fail to fill' nearly every day — at least one every day," Fraser said.

On the bright side, Jordan District is experiencing significantly more interest in substitute teaching this year, spokeswoman Melinda Colton said. More sections of training are being added to meet the demand.

"Our orientations have just been packed," Colton said. "That's a good thing. ... You can never have too many substitutes in your pool."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com