YUHSD approves 10 percent increase in certified salary and more
The Yuma Union High School District Governing Board approved the 2019-20 compensation packet for employees in a special board meeting on Wednesday.
The new packet includes raises of 10 percent for certified staff, 7 percent for classified staff making above minimum wage, and 7 percent for administrators.
Additionally, all benefitted staff will receive a one-time payment of $500 in December.
“The goal is always to maximize our investment in staff within the parameters of the district budget, and our Governing Board, past leadership, and CFO Dianne Cordery have all done a phenomenal job to make that happen,” YUHSD Superintendent Gina Thompson said. “It comes down to wanting to support our staff, those who are truly impacting the lives of our students and the future of our community. One way to do that is through increases in compensation.”
“Our mission is to have every student college, career and community prepared when they graduate from one of our high schools and we have a team of nearly 1,000 employees who are here to help us reach that goal. They also need to be paid accordingly. It’s not a one year thing. It’s not something that gets done overnight. Since the recession, there has been a lot of give and take from all parties to help make positive change. And while working within the constraints of a public education budget isn’t easy, as a district we are making strides towards that change being something more impactful and lasting for our employees.”
The Arizona Department of Education is mandating a 5 percent increase for certified staff across the state as part of Governor Doug Ducey’s 20 percent by 2020 plan. YUHSD is adding an additional five percent to certified compensation to bring the total to 10 percent.
This is the second double-digit percentage increase for YUHSD teachers in the past two years.
Last year, the Governing Board approved a 12 percent increase, which included 10 percent from the state and an additional two percent from YUHSD’s operating budget. With an additional 5 percent slated for 2020, certified staff in YUHSD will see a salary increase of at least 27 percent over a three-year period.
