Mesa Public Schools board approves 2025–26 compensation plan including $900 one‑time stipend

The Mesa Public Schools governing board on a 5–0 vote approved the district's 2025–26 compensation plan, a package that includes a $900 one‑time payment for returning employees, new salary schedules, and short‑term adjustments to several temporary pay policies.

The plan, presented to the board by Mr. Wing, includes a $900, one‑time stipend prorated by FTE for eligible returning employees. Mr. Wing told the board that "a little over $4,000,000 will be paid from our Classroom Site Fund" (Prop 123) to cover classroom‑eligible payments and that the stipend is not ongoing and does not apply to new hires.

Board members and representatives of employee associations framed the decision as the product of negotiation. Kelly Berg, a math teacher at Dobson High School and president of the Mesa Education Association, said the meet‑and‑confer process resulted in proposals the associations "carefully created to honor the employees in all groups who serve our students and community." Tiffany Matthews, NESPA president, thanked district negotiators and noted classified employees lost positions this year; she called the one‑time stipend "a…