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Shorewood board approves supplemental pay increases for teachers and aides
Summary
The Shorewood School District board approved supplemental adjustments to teacher and aide pay, including an added step for BA and BA+15 lanes and a raise to the aid wage schedule. The decision follows extensive public comment urging the board to honor a 2023 referendum and improve staff retention.
The Shorewood School District board voted to approve supplemental pay adjustments for teachers and aides at its Dec. 9 meeting, adding an additional step to the BA and BA+15 lanes of the teacher salary schedule and increasing the aide salary schedule by $1.15 per cell.
Superintendent Burgos, describing the district’s fiscal context, told the board that the state provided no increase in general aid this year, shifting more of school funding onto local property taxes and referendum dollars. Burgos said the district’s offer includes an average 2.95% CPI-based increase and that the supplemental items before the board would raise total salaries and wages by more than $450,000 this year, while noting $367,060 of that had already been approved in the October budget.
The motion presented to the board listed the immediate additional costs as $61,570 for the teacher-step change and roughly $24,563 for the aid-schedule adjustments, with about $12,489 in payroll taxes and retirement (WRS) contributions. Director Hebelin and district staff framed the changes as targeted supplements intended to help recruit and retain staff while keeping the district fiscally responsible.
Public commenters framed the vote as a test of the district’s commitment to educators. Sheila Moody, an English department chair and 25‑year teacher, urged the board to “value teachers in this budget” and said the district could afford the increases given its fund balance. Jay Lowry, co‑president of the SCA, read the board’s public‑comment bylaw and cited union survey figures — including that 45% of staff hold an additional job and that many staff have delayed further education — asking the board to allow robust community input. Catherine Meschewski, who referenced the 2023 operating referendum that asked voters to approve $5.5 million over five years, said, “We are not seeing the district follow through on that.”
Board members discussed equity, recruitment, and negotiation history. Several members said the package balanced support for lower‑paid aides and targeted teacher lanes with long‑term fiscal responsibility. After debate the chair called for a voice vote; members present answered “aye” and the motion passed.
The board did not record a roll‑call tally in the public meeting transcript; the motion passed by voice vote. The district said it will continue work with the SEA on compensation issues and launch a financial sustainability task force in January to consider longer‑term funding strategies.
Next steps: the supplemental pay adjustments take effect as described in the approved schedules; district staff will handle payroll adjustments and follow up with implementation details to employees.
