Substitute hours may be different from student hours. Substitutes are required to meet the specific hours for the job assigned. A substitute’s typical workday is 7.5 hours with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. These hours may differ from those of the full-time employee that they are covering. If a substitute arrives late or leaves early on their own accord, a pay reduction form may be completed to only pay the substitute for the time worked. Substitutes who come in early or stay late without administrative approval will not be compensated for any time worked beyond the originally scheduled time in the substitute management system. 

SMARTFIND EXPRESS: Substitutes do NOT enter hours manually onto a timecard. All hours worked are recorded in SmartFind Express by the school, and it is the responsibility of the substitute to confirm all time worked for each assignment. After reviewing your assignments in SmartFind Express, you find a discrepancy, contact the school where you worked (with the job number) to verify that the correct dates and times were submitted to payroll. If so, then contact the Payroll Department at 571-252-1260. Payroll pays substitutes from the assignment report submitted by the school. Jobs must have a job number for payment purposes. 

Payment of substitutes occurs on a bi-weekly schedule. The 2025-2026 payroll calendar can be viewed below. For other questions related to paychecks, please contact the Payroll Department directly at 571-252-1260 

Substitutes are considered temporary staff and are permitted to work only within the specifically assigned hours of the day. Non-exempt (hourly) classified and substitute/temporary employees are generally prohibited from working more than 40 hours per week. This includes if the substitute has a secondary job assignment in addition to the substitute role. Substitutes are employed on an “as-needed basis” and reflect the school's instructional needs. Assignments are paid at the rate approved by the School Board. 

We ask substitutes to work at least six assignments annually. Staying active helps substitutes remain connected to their schools, students, and the substitute program while continuing to build familiarity and experience within LCPS. Substitutes who do not work any assignments for 18 consecutive months are automatically removed from the substitute pool.