Ulster BOCES maintains a 24-hour substitute calling service for teachers and other staff who will be absent from their assignment. Staff who are going to be absent call the service to request a substitute to cover their work assignment for the day. Ulster BOCES staff members review the calls that are recorded on voice mail, check for email notifications, make lists of vacancies for that day and then call substitutes to fill the vacancies. Ulster BOCES staff members then call the contact person in the school district to provide the names of the absentees, the reason for the absences and the names of the substitutes. Are port is made and sent to the school district. The school district recruits,appoints and pay its own substitutes. The district is responsible for maintaining an adequate number of per diem substitutes.

Ulster BOCES provides for an automated substitute calling service that allows for school district staff to report absences by phone or online. The automated system places calls to substitutes, based upon request and availability. Ulster BOCES can provide for either the administrative set-up or full implementation of the service.