Finance committee recommends pay increases for Mineral Point support staff

The Mineral Point Unified School District Finance Committee on July 6 recommended raising hourly pay for support staff to improve recruitment and retention. The committee recorded that starting wages in the district are "approximately $15.00 per hour" and said those rates trail neighboring districts despite full-time employees receiving health insurance and retirement benefits.

The minutes state, "The committee recommended increasing current support staff wages by $1.00 per hour to bring existing employees closer to market rates." The committee also recommended that any support staff member currently placed in a "ghost lane" receive a $0.50 per hour pay raise for the 2026–2027 school year, and that a $0.50 per hour annual increase begin in 2027–2028. The minutes estimate the initial cost of the 2026–27 adjustment at approximately $25,000.

Committee members discussed turnover causes and concluded three recent departures were due to career advancement, personal reasons, and starting a family rather than pay alone. The committee emphasized that a standardized pay schedule would improve fairness and support recruitment while remaining manageable for budgeting.

The Finance Committee agreed to forward the proposed compensation adjustments to the full Board of Trustees and to coordinate with the Personnel Committee before any final approval. The minutes record both recommendations carried on a (3 - 0) committee vote. The Board must consider the recommendation before changes would take effect.