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Final classification and compensation study proposes unified, five-year plan for support staff
Summary
Consultants presented a final classification and compensation study covering ~1,800 non‑instructional employees and recommended a unified, market‑responsive pay plan implemented over five years with fiscal impacts beginning in Year 3; the board praised the data-driven approach and asked for staged job-description rollouts.
Evergreen Solutions presented the final report of a classification and compensation study for Leon County Schools' non‑instructional workforce at the Nov. 17 workshop, recommending a unified, market‑responsive pay plan phased over five years.
Brett Shively (project lead) and consultant Kristen Fitzpatrick said the study covered about 150 classifications and roughly 1,800 employees (exempt, LESPA, Local 1010 and some bargaining units). The internal review found a salary-progression problem: roughly 85% of employees were paid below their pay-range midpoint and quartile analysis showed many long-tenured employees clustered in lower parts of ranges — a pattern the consultants said indicates promotion/progression constraints rather than a young workforce.
Fitzpatrick outlined employee-outreach findings from focus groups and surveys: staff value job security, benefits and work schedules but expressed concerns about salary progression, competitiveness with the market and limited promotional ladders. The consultants recommended a classification redesign that creates clearer career ladders (for example, adding apprentice and multi-level trades positions) and a unified pay plan that maintains internal alignment while improving external competitiveness.
Key recommendation details: adopt a unified pay structure with an 85% range spread and 5% progression steps, slot existing employees in Year 1 with no fiscal impact, perform grade alignments in Year 2 still with no immediate fiscal hit, and begin fiscal adjustments in Year 3. The five-year transition was estimated to cost about $850,000 in total, the consultants said, with the first direct budget impact projected in Year 3. Consultant materials also included recommended job descriptions and a cadence for repeating a comprehensive study every 3–5 years.
Board members broadly praised the report as a necessary, data-driven foundation. Trustees emphasized the need for a sustainable implementation runway, clear communication to employees and staged job-description approvals before moving pay ranges into effect. Staff said job descriptions and classification updates will be brought forward for board approval over coming months.
Why it matters: The study is a structural proposal affecting pay equity, recruiting and retention across a wide swath of district employees. The phased approach aims to balance fiscal constraints with the district goal of market alignment and career ladders.
Next steps: Staff will present job descriptions and the phased implementation schedule to the board for approval; range changes will be phased in according to the five-year plan.
