East Marshall board debates pay schedule to raise paraprofessional wages; cost estimated at ~$36,000 phased

Board members on Oct. 15 considered a proposed paraprofessional salary schedule intended to improve recruitment and retention for paraeducators.

District staff reported the current starting wage for paraprofessionals is about $13.09 per hour and proposed a new schedule beginning at $15.00 per hour with incremental increases for credentialed paraprofessionals (about $15.25) and specialists (about $15.50). The proposed phase-in would cost roughly $15,000 in the remainder of the current fiscal year and an additional approximately $21,000 next year, for a total near $36,000 to fully implement the schedule, staff said. Staff estimated about 85% of the increase could be paid from special-education carryover funds.

Board members emphasized retention as a primary goal, recommending compressing the years-of-service ladder so employees reach higher steps earlier (for example, larger increases in initial years rather than long, slow step increases). One board member noted the district loses paraprofessionals to local employers offering $20/hour and suggested structuring the schedule to make education a more viable career path, including pathways from paraprofessional roles into teaching.

The board discussed timing and agreed to aim for a finalized draft in November with a possible effective date of Jan. 1 (or second-semester implementation) if the board approves the final schedule. Staff emphasized a phased approach to reduce immediate budget pressure and would present the final cost allocation and timeline at the November meeting.

If approved, staff said they would not phase in the changes all at once; instead, employees would receive half of the proposed increase this year and the remainder the following year, contingent on board approval and available funds.