Committee discusses ways to increase teacher salaries

By Jenna Wilson

District leaders, teachers and committee members gathered Thursday to consider proposals to increase teacher salaries in the hopes of improving overall staff recruitment and retention.

The proposals discussed at Thursday’s recruit and retain committee meeting will be presented to the St. Joseph Board of Education on Monday, March 18.

Along with levy proposals for salary improvements, the committee also discussed possible preschool and day care options for employees with preschool-aged children.

Assistant Superintendent Brian Kraus, who is in charge of St. Joseph School District human resources, said the two main areas of focus that will determine if they see a positive teacher retention for the 2024-2025 calendar year are possible pay raises and affordable child care. 

“The point that we’re really trying to impress upon all of our employees is we value you, we want you here, and we feel like the things that we’re proposing will be viewed in that light,” Kraus added.

There are three levy proposals for salary improvements for staff:

• The first proposal would approve the removal of a 51-cent Prop C waiver and would generate approximately $6.1 million in additional revenue.
• The second proposal would approve the removal of a 51-cent Prop C waiver and propose an additional 10-cent levy to go toward salaries. This would generate approximately $7.3 million in additional revenue.
• The third proposal would approve the removal of a 51-cent Prop C waiver and propose an additional 20-cent levy to go toward salaries. This would generate approximately $8.5 million in additional revenue.

“St. Joseph ranks fairly low in beginning salary,” Kraus said. “Our teachers can go to the metro and earn $5,000-$6,000 more from other districts. So, in order for us to entice them to stay here, we need to be as competitive as we can and passing either a 51-, 61- or 71-cent levy would help us become more competitive. It’s not going to put us at the top but it would get us into the middle, we hope.”