Kyrene School District approved an extra 4% pay raise for all teachers and administrators and a $2 per-hour increase for all support staff this month.
The district previously approved a 3% increase for all employees for the current schooll year , plus an additional .65 cents per hour for employees in the lowest wage tier.
District officials said in a news release Kyrene has faced the same hiring challenges other districts have faced—particularly among support staff, which include bus drivers, teaching assistants, office staff, and other personnel.
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Kyrene School District approved an extra 4% pay raise for all teachers and administrators and a $2 per-hour increase for all support staff this month.
The district previously approved a 3% increase for all employees for the current schooll year , plus an additional .65 cents per hour for employees in the lowest wage tier.
District officials said in a news release Kyrene has faced the same hiring challenges other districts have faced—particularly among support staff, which include bus drivers, teaching assistants, office staff, and other personnel.
“This past year has been one of the most challenging years for recruiting and retaining educational support professionals,” said Superintendent Laura Toenjes in a statement. “We know people want to work for school districts, where their time and skills are put to use in service of children and the noble work of education. But we also know people are providing for families and need to earn a livable wage, so this increase will make our compensation package more competitive, not only with other educational organizations but with the private sector as well.”
The budget passed late last month by the Arizona Legislature provided a large enough increase in education funding for Kyrene to add to the pay increases it had already planned for this year, according to the release.
“The additional funding from the State allows Kyrene to do something we have been wanting to do for some time, which is to lift up the salary schedules for our entire support staff,” said Chief Financial Officer Chris Herrmann in a statement. “We know that our employees have also felt the financial impact caused by inflation in their day-to-day lives. Each year, Kyrene raises the pay for a number of entry-level employees, to keep up with mandatory minimum wage increases. This new increase will ensure Kyrene employees continue to earn starting wages well above the minimum wage while providing additional compensation to offset the impact caused by inflation.”
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