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Board hears plan to raise facilities and transportation pay; officials cite recruitment risks
Summary
Administration proposed revised salary scales increasing starting pay for trades and bus drivers and embedding professional stipends; presenters said the change will cost about $600,000 annually and be funded in FY26 by vacancy savings.
School district staff presented a recommended overhaul of salary scales for facilities trades and transportation positions aimed at improving recruitment and retention.
Acting director of human resources Dr. Tom Brewster walked the board through new pay bands for three trades levels (entry to master license), higher entry pay for skilled positions, and a proposed increase to a $25 starting hourly rate for bus drivers with higher top-of-scale amounts for technicians. "These changes set the foundation for equity and sustainability in the years ahead," Brewster said, describing an estimated recurring annual cost of roughly $600,000 and a FY26 partial-year cost of $300,000. He told the board the immediate proposal could be funded this year through vacancy savings.
Board members pressed for comparative data with Montgomery County government pay and neighboring divisions and for analysis of long-term fiscal implications. "We need comparisons of their salaries so we can present it during budget season," Board Member Rountree said, asking staff to prepare analyses that would support discussions with the board of supervisors and the public.
Administrators defended narrowing the focus to the most critical shortage areas (HVAC, electricians, plumbers, bus drivers) and noted the district has experienced long-open positions; they warned that outsourcing maintenance work would be more costly. Facilities staff said a single outside contractor preventive-maintenance quote for one school exceeded $70,000 annually.
What’s next: The board received the proposal as informational; staff said the item will return for action and for inclusion in FY26 budget deliberations, with requested comparisons to county and peer pay scales and a breakdown of recurring costs.
