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Paraprofessionals allege pay inequity; Solon Springs board debates raise but motion fails
Summary
At the May 19 Solon Springs School District board meeting, a paraprofessional accused the district of pay inequity affecting 11 women paraprofessionals; the board debated raises but a motion to add $1/hour received no second and was tabled to June.
Tammy, a public commenter, told the Solon Springs School District Board of Education on May 19 that 12 paraprofessionals work in the district and 11 of them are women, while the 12th, a man, is paid ‘‘thousands of dollars more’’ despite performing fewer duties. "This is discrimination," Tammy said, and urged the board to correct what she called a long-running inequity and to raise paraprofessional pay so the district can retain qualified staff.
The comment followed prior petitions and a request for a $2-per-hour pay increase; Tammy said paraprofessionals currently make "less than $17 an hour" and reiterated concerns that low wages deter applicants. "If you compensate one, you must compensate for all," she said.
Board members and district staff then discussed the district salary schedule, which includes a 3% increase in each cell for 2025-26 and lane-based pay differences. Staff materials provided to the board included projections showing that a $1-per-hour across-the-board raise for paraprofessionals would add roughly $23,000 annually when employer payroll costs are included; a $0.75 increase was estimated at a lower figure. Board members and administrators noted that raises would be ongoing expenses that affect future budgets.
A board member made a motion to raise paraprofessionals $1 per hour across lanes, but the motion received no second. The presiding officer declared the motion defeated; the board agreed to place the pay discussion back on the June agenda and requested comparative cost figures for $0.75 and $1.00 increases.
The meeting record shows no formal board response that fully resolved Tammy's allegation of unequal pay. The districtprovided budget projection figures during the discussion but did not approve an immediate wage change; the item will return to the board's June meeting for further consideration.
What happens next: The board asked staff to provide the dollar-cost comparisons requested and will revisit paraprofessional pay at the June meeting.
