Virginia Beach study outlines pay-scale options for teachers and support staff; entry pay increases would cost $18M–$26.7M

At an administrative workshop on Jan. 28, 2025, Virginia Beach City Public Schools' human-resources leaders and compensation consultants presented options to raise teacher starting pay and revise the unified (noninstructional) pay scale to address staffing shortages and retention concerns.

The presentation, led by Darnita Trotman, chief human resources officer, and Paula Singer, vice president at consulting firm Siegel, outlined two structure-change options for the unified pay scale and three entry-pay increase scenarios for the teacher pay scale, with estimated annual costs ranging from about $10.7 million to $26.7 million depending on the option chosen.

The discussion matters because the division is competing for a shrinking pool of educators and support staff in the Hampton Roads region; board members said they wanted to weigh near-term costs against longer-term recruitment and retention risks.

Siegel proposed two unified-pay-scale options for the lowest grade (U7), which covers bus assistants, Custodian I staff and cafeteria assistants. Option A would change the step increments (raising the structure by 1.5 percent for years 0–14) and was estimated to cost roughly $20.7 million. Option B would raise the structure by 3 percent but keep years 0–14 step increases at 1 percent; Siegel estimated that option at roughly $10.7 million and described it as an initial boost that does not fully address the compounding compression in early-career steps.

On the teacher pay scale, Siegel presented three entry-rate options intended to make Virginia Beach more competitive with peer divisions (Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News and Suffolk). Under Siegel's framing: a 5 percent entry increase (Option A) would move the current entry salary from $54,065 to about $56,769 and cost about $26.7 million; a 4 percent entry increase (Option B) would raise entry pay to about $56,228 and cost about $22.5 million; and a 3 percent entry increase (Option C) would move entry pay to about $55,687 and cost about $18.4 million. All three teacher options were modeled to also support an average 3 percent increase for eligible employees across the pay scale.

"Staff in schools remains a persistent challenge," Trotman said in opening remarks, noting shortages in teachers, bus assistants, custodians and cafeteria assistants. Paula Singer summarized the trade-offs: "All the options align with the goal of a minimum increase of 3 percent for all eligible employees," and she urged the board to weigh taking a larger up-front investment now against repeatedly returning to the issue in future budget cycles.

Board members questioned the strategy of chasing peer divisions' raises. "Should we decide to kick this down the can? Is this going to put us in an even bigger disadvantage with our competitors in the area?" asked Miss Rogers, a school board member. Singer replied that waiting could risk falling further behind, particularly for early-career recruits who compare starting pay across nearby divisions.

Several board members asked for additional detail. Mr. Cummings requested counts of staff by years-of-service bands (for example, numbers of employees with 0–5, 5–10 years) to better understand how the modeled increases would distribute across employees. Miss Weems asked staff to report applicant feedback indicating whether candidates decline positions because of housing costs or pay differentials with neighboring divisions.

Siegel and division staff said they would provide follow-up data requested by the board and noted the presentation was intended to inform upcoming budget decisions. No formal motion or vote occurred at the workshop; the board will consider these options as part of the superintendent's budget process.

The board signaled support for prioritizing both teachers and the lowest-paid unified positions, and staff emphasized that any change would be constrained by available funding and the upcoming SEON (superintendent's estimate of needs) and budget calendar.

A set of modeled totals and cost options provided by Siegel will be used by division staff as they prepare budget proposals for the board's February 11 presentation and the March 11 budget approval timeline.