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School board approves pay increases for new teachers, raises co‑curricular base and adds special‑education teacher
Summary
The Wisconsin Rapids School District board approved new starting salaries, a revised co‑curricular pay base, several staff appointments and the addition of a 1.0 FTE special-education teacher for Grove Elementary for 2025–26.
The Wisconsin Rapids School District Board of Education approved several personnel measures on April 14, including changes to starting teacher pay, a new co‑curricular wage base, routine appointments and an additional special-education position at Grove Elementary.
The board accepted the Personnel Services Committee recommendations to set the professional staff starting salary for teachers with no experience at $47,000 for the 2025–26 school year and to set the starting salary for teachers holding a master’s degree at $52,000. The committee described the change as necessary to remain competitive with local districts; Mr. Oswald, the district’s human resources director, presented local comparables and recommended the adjustment.
The board also approved a new co‑curricular base wage calculator that sets the base salary at $47,000; the district will continue to apply percentage rates for athletic and nonathletic coaching and advisor roles beginning with the 2025–26 school year. The committee said the change aims to improve recruitment and retention for coaching and advisor positions.
Separately, citing an increased special-education caseload at Grove Elementary this school year, the board approved adding a 1.0 full-time-equivalent special-education teacher for 2025–26. The committee said multiple students with special-education needs had transferred to Grove, stretching existing staff capacity.
The board approved several routine personnel items during the meeting: listed support and professional staff appointments, resignations and retirements as recommended by the Personnel Services Committee. Committee minutes indicated that two of the new hires are Lincoln High School graduates.
Votes and procedure: the Personnel Committee report and its nine action items were presented and the board approved PS1 through PS9 by voice vote; minutes show the motion carried after a motion and second. The committee said it will present proposed hourly wage-scale changes (driven by comparability and recruitment concerns) to the full board for approval in May.
Ending: District leaders said the increases aim to maintain competitiveness in the local labor market and to sustain co‑curricular offerings; administrators will return with any additional wage-scale changes next month.
