Superintendent Laura Toenjes of Tempe’s Kyrene school district just got a raise.
At the June 10 school board meeting the board voted 4-0 to approve her performance goals from the 2024-2025 school year.
“Thank you for your hard work and dedication”, board member Bunny (Ruth) Davis said. “I know how much work this stuff takes and I’m very impressed.”
The board voted to extend Toenjes’s contract until 2027 on June 25, 2024, and after approving her performance goals, she is eligible for a bonus of up to 5% of her salary, potentially adding up to $11,000 to her base salary of $220,000.
Davis has served as a school educator, counselor and attorney prior to joining the Kyrene School Board.
Following the presentation Toenjes thanked her team for their work, saying "I could not do this alone."
The performance plan was centered on employee wellness and improving the workplace enviroment. This included compensation studies and enrollment trends to offer support should the district be at capacity.
The base salary for Kyrene teachers exceeded $58,000 in the 2023-24 school year not including a $1,000 retention stipend for teachers who return after their first year.
Kyrene will not be at capacity in the coming school year as the district lost more graduating eight-graders than it had incoming kindergarteners, creating a difference of about 560 students.
Her contract also includes a district compensated cell phone, and $9,000 toward a vehicle. The district also provides up to $4,000 to cover refreshments and events related to the job.
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