Ajo Unified board approves Classroom Site Fund increase to boost certified teacher base pay

The Ajo Unified District Governing Board voted unanimously to approve additional Classroom Site Fund allocations for the 2026–27 school year that raise the certified teacher base pay from $9,421 to $11,000 and adjust performance pay, a change administrators said the district can sustain while maintaining reserves.

Finance consultant Tyler Moore presented the proposal and the district’s budget math, saying the district ended the prior fiscal year with an approximately $1.5 million rollover and is entering the 2026–27 cycle with roughly $2 million when interest and the current year’s allocation are included. "You're in an exceptionally strong position to sustain these proposed increases," Moore said during his presentation, describing the recommendation to move more dollars into base pay and modestly adjust performance pay to a combined certified allocation of about $16,500 per teacher (an increase of about 9.5%).

Board members asked whether the increase would be ongoing, how it would affect starting salaries, and whether a larger one-time payout would risk future budget shortfalls if sales tax revenue fell. Moore advised a gradual approach, noting the Classroom Site Fund (Prop 301) is sales-tax dependent and that steep, one-time increases can create problems if revenue declines. He referenced the district’s experience in 2008–09, when sales-tax declines required painful reductions, to support a measured cadence of raises.

The board’s discussion included practical pay-range examples provided by staff: with the proposed change, the lowest certified salary example cited in the staff presentation would start near $46,000 (including base and other components), while higher steps could reach the mid-to-high $50,000s depending on education and years of service. The administration told the board the recommended base increase would raise a teacher’s base by roughly $1,579 annually compared with the previously published base.

After discussion, the board approved the administration’s recommendation 5–0. The motion directs the additional Classroom Site Fund issuance for 2026–27 and preserves the district’s policy to include performance pay while shifting a larger share into base salary.

What happens next: The district will adjust salary calculations and include the new base amount in 2026–27 certified contracts and payroll planning. Board members and staff said they expect to return next year with updated budget projections and recommended continuations of the planned cadence of increases.