Smithville R-II board approves 2026–27 compensation package with August flexibility

The Smithville R-II Board of Education voted to approve the 2026–27 compensation recommendation and related salary schedules, with authority to amend the plan upward in August 2026 if state revenue conditions allow. The package includes a 3.6% average across certified and classified salary schedules, an additional 5% buyback increase, and an estimated total cost of just under $950,000, which board members described as a continuation of recent pay gains.

The motion to approve the recommendation was made on the record and seconded; a board member identified as Patrick is recorded as the motion’s second. The board president called for a vote and the motion was recorded as approved on the meeting record; the transcript does not include a roll-call tally.

Board and staff framed the approval in the context of ongoing revenue uncertainty from the state. Staff reported that local revenue comprises roughly 58% of current revenues (projected to shift toward 64% next year because of declining state contributions) and that the district projects a reserve ratio near 18–19% in the coming year, down from an earlier target of about 20.5%. The compensation action includes both step increases and the stated buyback increase; medical and dental changes were noted as having been approved earlier in the year.

Superintendent staff said the August amendment authority is one-directional — it would permit the district to increase the approved compensation if state receipts allow, not to reduce it. The board’s next steps include implementing the approved salary schedules and reconvening in August to adjust as needed when state revenue clarity is available.