How to run a studio sub board that actually fills classes
A sub board is the one place every open class lives: what needs covering, who can claim it, and who signs it off. Studios that run one stop losing classes to a group text nobody read. This guide covers what to put on the board, the rules that keep it trustworthy, and how to tell whether it is working.
What a sub board is (and what it replaces)
A sub board is a shared list of classes that need cover, visible to every rostered instructor at once. Instead of a manager chasing individuals, the request is posted once and stays visible until it is claimed or it expires.
It replaces three things at the same time: the group text, the spreadsheet of phone numbers, and the manager's memory of who owes whom a favour.
Put five things on every cover request
Most unfilled requests are missing information, not willing instructors. An instructor deciding in ten seconds on their phone needs the whole picture in the post.
- Format and level — a barre regular should not have to ask whether it is the express class
- Date, start time, and length
- Location and room, if you run more than one
- Pay or credit terms, stated the same way every time
- Deadline: the moment the request escalates or expires
Decide who can claim without asking
Give each format a cleared list. Instructors on that list can claim the class outright and the board marks it covered — this is what fills last-minute class cover, because nobody has to be awake to approve it.
Everyone else raises a hand and a manager confirms. New instructors, specialised formats, and anything with equipment usually stay in that second group until they have taught it twice.
Set escalation windows and hold to them
A board without deadlines becomes a wall of stale posts. Write the windows down once and let the board enforce them, so an unfilled class becomes a decision at a known time rather than a 6am surprise.
- More than a week out: widen the ask after 48 hours
- Same week: escalate after 12 hours with no claim
- Same day: escalate after 1 hour, then decide whether to combine or cancel
Close the loop with students
The board is not finished when an instructor claims the class — it is finished when the people who booked know who is teaching. A short note naming the substitute protects attendance, because most people leave when they are surprised at the door, not when they hear the day before.
Track three numbers
A sub board earns its place if the numbers move. Check them monthly, and only change one rule at a time so you can tell what caused the change.
- Fill rate: share of cover requests claimed before the deadline
- Time to fill: median hours from post to claim
- Coverage depth: how many instructors are cleared for each format — anything under three is a single point of failure
Frequently asked questions
- What is a studio sub board?
- A shared list of classes that need cover, visible to every rostered instructor, with the format, time, location, pay terms, and deadline attached to each request. Instructors claim or volunteer from the board instead of replying to a group text.
- Who should approve a substitute instructor?
- Use two lanes: instructors already cleared for that format claim the class outright, and everyone else volunteers for a manager to confirm. That keeps same-day cover fast without putting an unvetted instructor in a specialised class.
- How do you handle last-minute class cover?
- Post it to the board immediately with a one-hour escalation window, allow cleared instructors to claim without approval, and decide at the deadline whether to combine classes or cancel and notify the people who booked.
- Do we still need a group text if we have a sub board?
- No, and keeping both is what breaks the board. Once requests live in one place, the group text only creates second copies of a request that is already claimed.