Wright City R-II and Warren County R-III School Districts have selected Penmac Staffing Services Inc. to provide substitute teachers starting with the 2017-2018 school year.The agreement follows a contract between the Lincoln County R-III School District, Troy, signed with Penmac in March.Dr. David Buck, superintendent of the Wright City School District, said that the school district there has been pleased with the service.Penmac Education Staffing started its substitute teacher program in 2013 and provides services to more than a dozen districts.Buck said as the economy has been improving, school districts have been having a harder time attracting and retaining substitute teachers. He said districts were spending time trying to fill in for absent teachers and not always finding a replacement.“All three of us — Wright City, Warren County and Troy — were looking for a solution,” Buck said.Buck said the agreement with Penmac offers benefits to substitute teachers, students and school administrators.“We can’t offer benefits, they can. They have an over 95 percent fill rate (and) they provide training to all subs annually,” he said.When a substitute is needed, Penmac will fill it instead of school administrators, which allows administrators to focus on other school matters.Penmac helps school districts in recruiting, screening, training and managing qualified substitute teachers and paraprofessionals. It also aids in the compliance of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as they apply to schools.“We are excited to be partnering with the Wright City R-II and Warren County R-III teams in providing high-quality substitute teaching services,” said Dr. Pam Hedgpeth, director of Penmac Education Staffing.“Penmac focuses on ensuring a well-trained, instructionally focused substitute for teachers when they must be out of the classroom. Instructional time is precious.”“It is the mission of Penmac Education Staffing to provide children a rigorous, relevant day of instruction even when their teacher has to be away,” Hedgpeth said.Those who are interested in subbing for Wright City R-II or Warren County R-III schools should apply with Penmac Staffing. Candidates can call 636-243-8900 for more information. Those interested in substitute teaching can also visit penmac.com/teach to apply.A Missouri Substitute Certificate is required. All substitute teachers are eligible for Penmac’s health insurance. Full-time substitutes qualify for retirement benefits.Penmac Education Staffing uses Frontline Absence Management (formerly Aesop), an online substitute management program that allows substitute teachers to specify availability, set assignment preferences, and communicate with classroom teachers. For more information, visit penmac.com/teach.Penmac Education Staffing