Board approves personnel schedule, teacher contract language and compensation plans; personnel schedule passes 4 to 1
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Summary
After discussion about staffing shortages and exit-survey work, the board approved the personnel schedule (4 , 1 Nay), adopted teacher contract language, and approved compensation plans that raise new-hire placement by 1.5% and propose a 3% ongoing raise for continuing staff.
The Maricopa Unified School District governing board approved multiple personnel-related items on Feb. 10 after discussion about staffing and turnover.
HR lead Mr. Beckett told the board the district currently has "approximately 90 openings" districtwide and said staff are conducting exit surveys and interviews to identify turnover trends. "We're working right now," Beckett said, explaining that staff will compile a report to present to the board summarizing observed trends.
The board considered and approved the personnel schedule. The recorded vote on the personnel schedule showed four votes in favor and one Nay (President Patty Cutre), with board members Shontay Rothschild, Ben Owens, Lisa Garcia and Carolyn Lopez voting Aye and President Cutre recorded as Nay.
The board also approved standardized teacher contract language that Mr. Beckett said is unchanged from last year and has been reviewed by legal counsel at Udall Shamway. Beckett told the board the district is viewed as a model for some contract language by other districts. Staff said contracts will be issued March 16 and employees will have 10 workdays to return them.
On compensation, the board approved plans that raise new-hire placement by roughly 1.5% (the certified plan increases starting placement by $1,000) and that the district is proposing a 3% ongoing increase for continuing staff pending final approval. "We are continuing to prioritize competitive compensations with a proposed 3% increase for all staff," Mr. Harmon said during the budget preview portion of the meeting.
Board members asked about vetting and whether the increases reflect cost-of-living or comparator districts; staff said the decision was a cabinet-level recommendation informed by meet-and-confer discussions and the districts fiscal constraints.
Next steps: staff will return with updated hiring and turnover trend data and will finalize implementation details on compensation when the district publishes the proposed FY27 budget.