Substitute Teaching Services

Polk County Public Schools is soliciting competitive proposals for comprehensive Substitute Teaching Services under RFP 037-DW-0526, with proposals originally due May 18, 2026. Kelly Services, Inc. (Troy, Michigan) has been recommended for award as of August 3, 2026, pending School Board approval on August 25, 2026, and contract commencement September 1, 2026.

Vendors must execute notarized affidavits certifying compliance with Florida Statutes Section 287.138 (no ownership or control by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria) and Section 787.06(14) (no labor coercion practices). These are mandatory compliance filters.

The scope encompasses recruitment, screening, Level 2 background checks, employment, timekeeping, payroll, invoicing, reporting, and service-level management for approximately 1,150 daily substitutes (206,000 annually). The vendor serves as employer of record, responsible for payroll taxes, workers' compensation, and I-9 verification. Required qualifications include at least three years of successful K-12 substitute staffing experience, demonstrated Level 2 background screening capability, and a proven electronic absence/substitute management system with reporting and integration capabilities. Commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence/$2 million aggregate, automobile liability of $1 million combined single limit, workers' compensation per Florida law, and professional liability of $1 million per claim are mandatory, with PCPS named as additional insured.

The initial contract term runs four years (September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2030) with renewal options for up to four additional one-year periods by mutual agreement, not to exceed eight years total. Pricing must include hourly pay rates, bill rates with markup percentages, and conversion or volume discount fees. Key performance metrics include 95 percent daily fill rate, 100 percent credential verification accuracy, 100 percent background screening compliance, and 99.5 percent invoice accuracy.

Proposals were evaluated on a 100-point scale: experience and qualifications (25 points), recruitment/hiring/training approach (25 points), system functionality and integrations (15 points), reporting and performance history (15 points), account management and staffing plan (10 points), and pricing (10 points). Phase II presentations occurred July 29, 2026, with Kelly Services (115.00 combined points) and ESS Southeast, LLC (108.57 combined points) advancing from six initial proposals. Addendum 1 was issued May 14, 2026.