Cary 26 board approves three-year support-staff contract, OKs 3.55% administrative raise after exit-interview review

The Cary School District 26 Board of Education on May 27 approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Cary Education Support Personnel Association and separately authorized a 3.55% pay increase for administrative nonunion employees for the 2025–26 school year.

The actions followed a presentation of exit-interview data showing compensation as a leading reason staff leave the district. Superintendent Dr. White praised the negotiation process and thanked union leaders; a district staff presenter summarized the exit-interview findings and recommended further study of salary competitiveness.

Board approval of the collective bargaining agreement, covering 2025 through 2028, passed in a roll call vote. Superintendent Dr. White said the talks “started in February and wrapped up, earlier this month, on a 3 year agreement,” and he thanked negotiating lead Miss Susoka and her team for the process. The motion to approve the contract was recorded as approved by the board members present.

On the related personnel item, Dr. White recommended aligning administrative nonunion increases with the district’s largest employee group and presented a 3.55% increase for administrators for 2025–26. “I’m recommending to the board this evening, pass, a 3.55% administrative nonunion pay increase,” Dr. White told the board. The board approved the increase in a separate vote.

The exit-interview review, presented earlier in the meeting, reported that about 30 departing employees were surveyed this spring and the district received roughly a 75% response rate. The presenter reported compensation had returned to the top reason for leaving, at “almost 19%,” and noted other common causes included school culture, retirement and family circumstances. The presenter also reported that 75% of survey respondents would recommend working in Cary 26 and 88% said they had been satisfied with their time in the district.

Board members interjected questions about recognition and morale programs and were told the district is compiling building-level practices — from small gestures such as coffee in a meeting to more formal recognition — to identify what could be scaled. The presenter said the district will continue collecting exit data and follow up with targeted measures on training and morale.

The board’s actions on the contract and the administrative increase were recorded during open session and were approved by roll call. No amendments to the collective bargaining agreement were reported at the meeting. The meeting packet and votes are available in the district’s public board documents.

Board members who spoke during the discussion included Mindy Hartman, Jason Jancic, Catherine Potter and others. Miss Susoka and a district staff member who presented the exit-interview data were the primary staff speakers during the personnel items.

Looking ahead, the presenter recommended the district compare local salary scales with neighboring districts and continue targeted training and morale efforts. The board also asked staff to maintain regular reporting on exit-interview trends so future budget and staffing decisions can reflect retention needs.