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Speech-language pathologists, JEA and parents press board on SLP pay and caseloads; request access to retention funds
Summary
Multiple speech-language pathologists and the Jordan Education Association urged the board to address recruitment and retention by providing competitive pay, access to district stipends and recognition of SLPs' professional credentials. They said Jordan SLPs are paid near the bottom of Wasatch Front districts and that caseloads are large.
Dozens of Jordan School District speech-language pathologists (SLPs), allied professionals and Jordan Education Association (JEA) leaders pressed the school board April 22 to address compensation, caseloads and retention for speech-language services.
Multiple SLPs told the board Jordan ranks among the lowest-paying districts along the Wasatch Front for the profession and asked to either be granted access to teacher supplemental funds ("Shine" funds or the former TSSP) or be moved to a salary track similar to occupational therapists, physical therapists and school psychologists. "We are the second lowest paying in the Wasatch front," said Madi Adams, identifying herself as a Jordan district speech-language pathologist.
SLPs and several speakers urged the board to adopt measures that would improve recruitment and retention, including national-certification support, master's-plus compensation and access to targeted retention stipends. Janet Sanders, president of the Jordan Education Association, also told the board that a statewide referendum on HB 20267 (public-union restrictions) had gathered enough signatures to slow implementation and could affect collective bargaining timelines.
Several SLPs described high caseloads, time-consuming Medicaid billing and the complexity of services they provide to students with autism, medical needs and other communication challenges. "Most of us have national certification ... and we pay for the continuing education to maintain that," said Tiffany Bowman, a district SLP who urged the board to either extend teacher-related stipends to SLPs or reclassify them to a different professional pay scale.
Board members said they had heard the concerns and would consider pay and staffing as part of upcoming budget and contract discussions. Superintendent Anthony Godfrey and staff noted some options are constrained by district budgets and state funding streams, and said the board and administration would continue exploring ways to prioritize critical-need positions.
Why it matters
SLPs provide legally required services to students with communication disorders and are a special-education critical-need category. District pay and caseload policies affect students' access to therapy and the district's ability to retain credentialed clinicians.
Next steps
Board and administration committed to examine compensation options during budget and contract planning and to hear proposals from JEA and SLP representatives.
