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Division proposes raises and regrades: teacher starting pay to $57,277, bus drivers and nurses targeted for increases
Summary
In a Feb. 3 presentation, staff proposed increasing teacher starting pay to $57,277 (with a $60,000 goal), raising bus-driver starting pay, regrading nurse positions and making scale adjustments across instructional assistants, substitutes and graded positions to improve recruitment and retention.
Chesterfield County staff outlined a wide-ranging FY27 compensation proposal on Feb. 3 that would raise starting teacher pay, adjust scales for support staff and propose targeted regrades for nurses and other hard-to-fill roles.
At the board’s budget work session, Dr. Huff said the division proposes increasing teacher starting pay to $57,277 and adding step increases intended to produce about a 5% total raise for experienced teachers. “The proposal is to increase teacher starting pay to 57,277. ... And our future goal of course is $60,000,” Dr. Huff told the board.
Why it matters: school leaders said these changes are intended to retain staff and remain competitive in the Richmond-area market after several years of turnover and changing market dynamics. Dr. Huff cited improved vacancy and substitute-fill rates but noted persistent recruitment pressures in some certifications and nursing roles.
Proposals and specifics: the presentation listed several coordinated changes:
- Teachers: raise starting pay to $57,277 this proposal year with a long-term goal of $60,000; add an extra top step so top-of-scale teachers receive the same percentage increase.
- Instructional assistants (IIA): apply the market increase and add a top step (step 27) to retain experienced IIAs; many IIA positions support IEP-required services.
- Student support services: continue the FY25/26 market-aligned scale that reduced vacancy rates in OT, PT, speech-language pathology and psychologist positions.
- School security officers: proposed 4% market increase, a step recognition for experience and one additional step on the scale.
- Transportation (bus drivers): proposed to move starting pay from $24.15 to $25.11 per hour and to correct a career-pathway disincentive caused by earlier emergency increases that compressed grade boundaries.
- Graded-range positions and wage floor: proposal to raise the minimum graded-range hourly rate to $15.28 and provide a 5% increase for current graded-range employees.
- Nurses: proposed regrading RNs (grade 114 to 115) and LPNs (108 to 111) in response to offer declines (Dr. Huff said 44% of RN offers were rejected since FY25 start, citing salary as a reason).
- Substitutes, stipends and bonuses: a proposed 3% increase in substitute daily rates, continuation of targeted bonuses for high-need roles and a 4% market increase for stipends; long-term substitute status defined as 20+ consecutive days.
Board discussion and data requests: members asked for more granular data on offer declines by role, exit-survey trends and when the $60,000 starting salary goal might be reached. Dr. Huff said the FY27 proposal reflects roughly half of the funding needed to reach the $60,000 target and that staff would pursue additional funds next year to meet the goal. He also committed to provide attrition-by-tenure figures and to return with details on regrades and stipend rollout timing.
Next steps: the compensation proposals are part of the superintendent’s FY27 proposed budget; staff will provide follow-up data and the board will consider the recommendations during the budget cycle and at upcoming public hearings.
