Peoria Unified approves FY2026 compensation plan: 2% base raise, larger Classroom Site Fund increases for longer-serving staff
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Summary
The board approved a package of compensation changes for fiscal 2026 including a 2% base increase for all employee groups, tiered Classroom Site Fund raises based on years of service, a $500 retention stipend for eligible hourly classified staff and higher summer pay for related-service providers.
Peoria Unified's Governing Board on March 27 approved a multi-part compensation and budget plan for fiscal year 2026 that district staff said balances long-term needs with the use of one-time carryforward funds.
District Chief Financial Officer Melissa Myers and a 30-member budget team recommended a 2% base salary increase for all employee groups and a targeted increase to the portion of teachers' and certain student-support staff's pay that is funded by the Classroom Site Fund. The Classroom Site Fund increase is tiered by years of service: 25% of the Classroom Site Fund portion for staff with 0— years; 30% for 11—0 years; and 35% for 21+ years, according to the presentation. Myers said those percentages apply only to the Classroom Site Fund portion of pay, not an employee's entire salary.
The package also includes a one-time monetary add-on to the Classroom Site Fund portion ranging from $500 to $2,000 based on years of service; continuation of the district's "protected date" for eligible staff; a $500 retention stipend for qualifying hourly classified employees (with food-service and preschool positions funded from their programs rather than M&O); and no change to performance-pay structure for fiscal 2026.
The board approved a recommended minimum certified placement salary of $52,000 for initial hires and raised the proposed minimum bus-driver hourly rate to $24. The district also recommended increasing related-service provider summer pay to $60 per hour (from $40) to reflect legally required summer assessments and other work.
Myers said the district will use one-time M&O carryforward and other non-recurring funds to cover much of the first-year cost, with a projected drawdown of reserves planned over the next several years. Board members thanked the budget-team members and the district said staff would publish further details to help employees calculate estimated increases.
A motion to adopt the FY2026 compensation recommendations passed 5-0.
