Douglas County raises youth center teacher pay; starting salaries up 20%

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution that raises pay scales for teachers and special-education teachers at the county youth center, including a 20% increase in starting pay and a 6% increase at the top step of the nine-step scale.

"For a new teacher at the youth center we have increased the starting pay by 20%, and then there's a 9 step pay scale and for the at the top step it's been increased by 6% over what they currently have," Diane Carlson, deputy county administrator, told the board. Carlson said the county pegged the new pay scales to Omaha Public Schools for salaries at the master's-degree level.

Commissioner Cabello noted the youth center's staffing context: "Recognizing that our teachers teach 12 months of the year ... they're teaching a full year. They don't get ... opportunity to have another employment. Also, it's, you know, more challenging probably in the context of the youth center teaching than it would be in regular school." Cabello also noted the center serves "nearly a hundred kids" at any given time.

The county presented the adjustment as a recruitment and retention step intended to make pay competitive with district schools. The resolution was approved as part of the consent agenda; Commissioner Rogers moved for approval, Commissioner Morgan seconded, and the motion passed 7-0.

The meeting record did not include specific dollar figures for the starting or top-step salaries, nor the effective date for the updated scales beyond adoption on April 8, 2025. The board did not debate alternative pay levels or provide a projected budgetary impact during the meeting.