LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – School districts are using the most short-term substitute teachers since 2012-13. And they are tapping the fill-in teachers at a time when the state has the most full-time teachers in nearly 15 years.

School districts across the state reported using 64,359 day-to-day substitute teachers in 2024-25. That’s up 16% from 2018-19, the year before the pandemic when districts used 55,481 day-to-day substitute teachers.

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A day-to-day substitute teacher is an individual employed by a district to serve in a short-term assignment that is less than one semester in length. The data doesn’t include long-term substitute teachers, who are employed as a regular or contract appointee to a single classroom or assignment for one semester or more.

The usage of substitute teachers was at the highest levels since 65,181 in 2012-13.

But the state data shows that there has not been a reduction of school teachers in Michigan.

There were 100,948 full-time public school teaching position in 2024-25. That’s the most number of teachers since there were 103,961 2010-11. And the state had fewer students 14 years ago.