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Compensation study shows AFSCME pay now close to market; district weighs phased implementation
Summary
An outside compensation and classification study presented June 10 found Charles County Public Schools—s support‑staff pay is now close to market midpoints after recent increases, but consultants warned some job families remain behind and offered phased implementation options costing from roughly $1.3 million to $6.8 million.
A consultant team from Evergreen Solutions presented a comprehensive compensation and classification study for the district—s AFSCME (support‑staff) group at the Board of Education—s June 10 meeting. Nikki Majors, the district—s chief human resources officer, said the study was the routine follow‑up to a 2021 review and reflects four years of pay adjustments made to respond to market pressure.
Kristen Fitzpatrick of Evergreen described the two‑phase analysis: an internal review (job assessments, employee outreach and classification alignment) and an external market survey (benchmarks against peer districts, municipalities and relevant employers). The consultants said the district now sits roughly 1.8% below the 50th percentile (midpoint) of the market on AFSCME pay overall — a dramatic improvement from the ~10% behind figure reported in 2021 — but that particular job families (technology, transportation, finance) still trail peers.
Key findings and recommendations - Internal inequities: multiple AFSCME pay plans (10 different pay plans) produced inconsistent earning potential and compression between new and long‑tenured employees. Evergreen recommended adopting a single unified pay plan and clearer classification definitions (assistant, technician, specialist, manager, director). - Market gaps: while the overall midpoint gap is now small (about 1.8% below peers), certain families are farther behind. Technology and transportation classifications are especially challenged because they compete with the private sector and other public employers. - Implementation options: Evergreen provided several transition models with estimated first‑year costs and average percentage adjustments: "bring to new minimum" (~$1.3M; ~2% avg. adjustment); "current/closest step" (~$4.9M; ~5.5% avg. adjustment); and "range penetration" (~$6.8M; ~7.9% avg. adjustment). The consultant recommended a multi‑year approach (year 1: bring to new minimum; year 2: current/closest step) to spread costs.
Board discussion and next steps Board members and HR staff pressed for detail on sustainability, links to recruitment, and how to focus on critical job families. Majors said staff will produce budgeted recommendations next year; the district—s finance team will test multi‑year implementation scenarios against projected revenues. The consultant offered targeted actions for hard‑to‑fill positions and suggested continuing classification reviews every 3–5 years with smaller salary surveys in intervening years.
Clarifying details The consultant said the study covered roughly 1,663 AFSCME positions in the district at the time the data were compiled. The study included employee outreach (focus groups and a survey) and job assessments submitted to supervisors for verification.
Ending Majors told the board the study provides a roadmap — with options at multiple price points — and the administration will return with concrete, budgeted implementation recommendations in the coming fiscal cycle.
