Bentonville board approves 4% raises for most staff, freezes OT/PT schedule pending market adjustment

The Bentonville School District Board voted unanimously on March 17 to increase nearly all staff salary schedules by 4% for the 2026–27 school year, while freezing the occupational- and physical-therapist (OT/PT) schedule pending a market-aligned revision.

Dr. Janet Swanhauser, the district finance lead, told the board the district expects about $8.2 million in additional revenue next year and proposed using approximately $7.4 million of that increase to raise staff pay. "We're proposing that we're going to take 7.4 million of that and tie that directly to staff salary by increasing almost all of our salary schedules by 4%," she said during the presentation.

Swanhauser said OT and PT schedules are currently above regional comparators and that the district will freeze that schedule while creating a new "schedule B" that better reflects the market. "We are going to request your approval to freeze the OT and PT salary schedule until it comes back into market," she said, adding that current employees on the frozen schedule will continue to receive annual step increases until new market-based adjustments are implemented.

Board members asked about timing and eligibility for step increases; Swanhauser said the frozen schedule employees would still receive their step progression and that OT/PT contracts are on a 182-day basis.

The motion to approve the raises and the OT/PT schedule changes passed on a unanimous vote recorded by Becky Guthrie. Board members recorded as voting yes were Tatum, Bill, Willie, Jennifer, Jeremy, Rachel and Becky (secretary). The board chair called the motion approved.

Next steps include implementation of the revised OT/PT schedule and continued monitoring of local property-tax-driven revenues that the district cited as the source of the proposed raises.

The board approved the compensation plan as item 9F and adjourned other business to later agenda items.