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Board approves 2% raise for nonbargaining staff, approves transportation compression adjustments
Summary
The board approved a 2% salary increase for nonbargaining employees and a targeted compression adjustment for transportation staff; raises to appear in October payroll with retro to July 1 for transportation.
The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved a 2% salary increase for nonbargaining employees and separately approved a set of adjustments intended to reduce wage compression in the district's transportation workforce.
Superintendent Carmen Balgobin recommended the increase for the nonbargaining group, and Stephanie Workman, executive director of human resources, presented the cost estimates. Workman explained how the calculation includes employer-paid retirement, FICA and life insurance: "For roughly 6,500 employees, you're looking at almost $400,000,000," and that the districtwide cost is roughly $4 million per each 1% of salary when benefits are included.
The nonbargaining raise was presented as a uniform 2% increase for employees such as district administrative staff, school-based administrators and other employees who are not in a collective bargaining unit. Board members approved the measure and staff said the October 15 payroll will include the increase; staff are preparing retroactive pay calculations.
The second item addressed pay compression for transportation employees after the state minimum wage rose to $15 per hour. District staff described a step-based adjustment that moves each employee's hourly step closer to a step that matches his or her years of service. Presenters said the compression package for transportation will, overall, cost roughly $250,000 for vehicle operators and approximately $220,000 for other transportation positions. The board approved the transportation compression adjustment unanimously and staff said the changes will be applied with an effective date back to July 1 and that the October 15 payroll will reflect the new pay.
Why it matters: Salary and compression changes affect recruitment and retention for critical positions such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other operations staff. District leaders argued the changes honor commitments made last winter and respond to continuing staffing shortages.
What the board decided and next steps: The board approved both the nonbargaining 2% increase and the targeted transportation compression remedy. Staff said employees will see the adjustment on the Oct. 15 paycheck and that retroactive pay is being calculated.
Details: Board members asked whether the nonbargaining bucket included the former AFSCME roles; presenters clarified the group includes staff who previously were in that unit (cafeteria, transportation, maintenance, security monitors and related positions). Presenters also said district administration, principals and assistant principals in the nonbargaining category will receive the 2% increase.
Public reaction: Parents and employees who attended public comment later in the meeting thanked the board for addressing transportation pay and sought follow-up about other high-need groups. Board members indicated plans to review additional departments for compression or targeted pay fairness measures in the coming months.
