JEFFERSON TWP — A local schools superintendent wants to use an innovative method to cut down on the need for substitute teachers in the district.

David Foley, superintendent at the South Butler County School District, gave a presentation at Wednesday’s board meeting on the district’s constant need for substitute teachers — and inability to get enough of them — on many occasions.

In an effort to think outside the box, Foley recommended that the school board approve a “wellness incentive” for the district’s 166 teachers that would pay them a $1,000 annual bonus in two installments for not taking any of their 10 sick days during the school year.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Friday’s Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article and find out how much this new system could save the district and learn about proposed changes to the substitute pay.