Human resources presented a recommendation to the Cary CCSD 26 board on Dec. 8 to commission Arthur J. Gallagher to conduct a district compensation (salary and benefits) study covering two staff groups: certified employees and educational support personnel (ESP).

HR rationale: The district’s HR lead said the study is intended to provide objective market benchmarking, job‑description review, implementation strategies and sustainability planning so the district can better recruit and retain staff. “The goal of a salary study is not to raise everyone's wages,” he told the board. “The goal of a salary study is to see where we're at in the marketplace, what our total compensation package looks like, and where we need to make adjustments from there.”

Evidence cited: HR cited exit interview data showing salary is the single most reported reason employees leave the district (about 19% in their exit interviews) and referenced national trends in declining numbers of education degree graduates. As an example of targeted interventions, HR noted recent, focused pay adjustments for bus drivers eliminated vacancies for that group in Cary while surrounding districts still have openings.

Vendor, scope and timeline: Arthur J. Gallagher — a firm the district currently uses for benefits administration — was proposed because it has relevant school‑district experience. The study was described as a four‑phase process (strategic alignment, benchmarking and market analysis, implementation strategy/sustainability planning, and post‑project support) with an estimated total duration of about six months.

Cost and budget context: Giroux said the firm priced each studied group at roughly $20,000 and that doing both groups together would be “just under $30,000” as presented. Treasurer/business staff clarified there is budget capacity: approximately $35,000 was freed in the business office budget after half the Skyward implementation was paid in a prior year; the treasurer said that funding was identified as a possible source for the study.

Board response and next steps: Board members pressed on whether to include SESPA/paraprofessionals, whether the study would make recommendations the district could not afford, and how public the results should be. Several members asked staff to obtain a price for adding SESPA and additional references. HR and business staff said they would attempt to produce a full price and bring back the formal proposal and supporting materials at next week’s meeting.

What this does not say: The board did not approve a contract tonight; they asked for more detailed proposals and pricing to consider whether to proceed.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A at the Dec. 8, 2025 Cary CCSD 26 board meeting; public transcript statements by the district HR presenter and treasurer.