MOOSE JAW — Prairie South School Division teachers were absent roughly 10 per cent during the first half of the 2024-25 school year, which is two per cent less compared to last year.
Division administration presented a report during the March board meeting that looked at absences of teachers, bus drivers, CUPE employees and out-of-scope staff from Aug. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025. This was the first of two reports about employee absences during the 2024-25 school year that administration presented to trustees.
Teachers
Semester 1 ran from Aug. 27, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025.
The report showed there were 448.88 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff employed in the division, with 100 total teaching days and 44,888 possible workdays for those FTE employees.
The data showed that teachers were absent 4,425.11 days during the semester, or 9.86 per cent of all possible workdays. These absences required substitute teachers to work 3,230.49 days, while 73 per cent of teachers required a sub.
In comparison, during the first half of the 2023-24 school year, teachers were absent 5,017.71 days or 12.04 per cent of the time. This was a year-over-year drop of 2.18 per cent.
Of note, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation did not engage in job action this time, so there were zero absences in that category. However, during the same time in 2023-24, teachers were absent 987.27 days — or 2.33 per cent — due to job action.
The category with the highest absences was illness, as teachers were off 1,351.93 days or 3.01 per cent of the time.
Bus drivers
There were 106 FTE bus drivers employed during the first half of the 2024-25 school year, with 93 total working days and 9,858 possible workdays, the report said.
The data showed that bus drivers were absent 553 days from Aug. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025, or 5.61 per cent of all possible days. These absences required substitute drivers to work 348 days, while 62.93 per cent of drivers required a sub.
In comparison, during the same time in 2023-24, bus drivers were absent 612 days or 6.34 per cent.
CUPE staff
There were 293.56 FTE CUPE staff employed between Aug. 1, 2024, and Jan. 31, 2025, with 125 total working days and 36,695 possible workdays.
The data showed non-teaching unionized staff were absent 3,430.87 days during those six months, or 9.35 per cent of all possible workdays. These absences required substitute staff to work 2,008.22 days, while 58.53 per cent of regular staff required a sub.
Out of scope
There were 47.63 FTE out-of-scope employees — such as managers and superintendents — employed from Aug. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025, with 125 total working days and 5,953.75 possible workdays.
The data showed that out-of-scope employees were absent 809.41 days during that half-year, representing 13.59 per cent of all possible days. There were no substitutes required to cover those absences.
Administration comments
Amy Johnson, superintendent of human resources, said there was a “slight decrease” in the total number of absences during the first half of this school year compared to the same time last year, which was “a good thing.”
She added that this decrease was due to teachers not engaging in STF-sanctioned job actions, which meant teachers’ absences were “pretty flat” and remained about the same year-over-year.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, April 1.
