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Johnson County board to form committee to redesign teacher salary schedule amid retention concerns
Summary
Board members, teachers and staff discussed moving from an alternative merit-based pay system to a years-of-experience scale, with staff estimating roughly $400,000 to transition; board directed staff to form a committee of teachers and board members to produce a draft for budget consideration.
The Johnson County School Board discussed forming a committee to review and propose a revised teacher salary schedule, after multiple teachers and staff urged a move from the current alternative, merit-based pay system to a years-of-experience scale.
Board staff told trustees they had already categorized each teacher by degree and experience to estimate costs, and said an initial transition would cost about $400,000 under one model presented. A majority of speakers — including classroom teachers and the Johnson County Education Association representative — urged the board to act quickly to stop turnover.
Board staff member Tina said the district has surveyed teachers and taken preliminary steps to verify years of experience in personnel files. "We have took every teacher in the system, and we have categorized them based on degree and years of experience," Tina said, noting the district is still confirming out-of-state experience and advanced-degree documentation.
A teacher who spoke at length summarized the classroom view: "We are here tonight to say that we believe in equal pay for equal experience," the teacher said, criticizing a system that has allowed some new hires to be paid more than long-serving teachers.
School staff described legal and procedural constraints. The board was told any new schedule must be submitted to the State Board for approval, and that state law requires a differentiated-pay component for certain ratings. Staff described an example conversion that would approximate a $515-per-year step equivalent, with a rough systemwide cost near $400,000 depending on how steps and starting salaries are set.
Trustees and staff agreed to stand up a committee that would include at least two teachers from each school and a board member to develop a draft salary schedule; staff indicated they could meet next week and bring initial figures for the budget cycle. "The leg work is sort of already done," a staff member said. Board members discussed timelines tied to district budget deadlines and the consolidated application, which staff said must be filed by May 1.
The board did not take a formal vote during the work session; instead members and staff directed that a committee be formed to produce recommendations and a draft for consideration in the current budget cycle.
The next steps directed were: district staff will solicit two teacher representatives from each school, a board member will sit on the committee, the committee will meet as soon as practicable and staff will prepare draft numbers for the forthcoming budget process. The board and presenters said any final salary schedule would return for board approval and State Board review.
Board members and teachers also framed the pay discussion against other district spending priorities raised during the session, including recurring costs associated with new programs and facilities.
Copies of the committee membership plan and the draft salary modeling will be provided to the board and public ahead of the next formal meeting.
