Case Study: Azle Independent School District boosts substitute fill rates with Frontline Education and Wagestream

How Azle ISD uses Wagestream through Frontline’s Absence Management to support substitute teachers, raise fill rates, and expand its substitute poo

Azle Independent School District, a K-12 district in Azle, Texas, struggled to keep substitute teacher jobs filled as its substitute pool shrank after the pandemic and competition for workers increased. As substitutes increasingly took second jobs or gig work to cover bills, the district needed a way to make substitute roles more attractive. Frontline Education’s Absence Management, paired with Wagestream, was the product/service used to address the challenge.

Frontline Education helped Azle ISD offer Wagestream’s flexible pay option so substitutes could access earned wages before payday without payroll complications. The district saw fill rates rise from roughly 75%–85% to the 90%–100% range, including days when every absence was filled, and substitutes used the benefit to handle urgent expenses and work more shifts.

Azle Independent School District

Shelley Unger

Substitute Coordinator