Teachers and staff are without question, the most important factor in the Salida School Districts’ ability to meet the mission to help all students reach their learning potential. In an increasingly expensive community to live in, compensation is a critical matter to ensure our students have the best teachers and support staff possible. Continued academic success is directly related to those staff who engage children day after day.
At the school board meeting on March 12, 2024, the board of education voted to approve several items to continue to support staff. The board approved increasing salaries through annual salary schedule increases (aka steps and levels), which is an estimated increase of $179,500 to the general fund. In addition, the board approved paying the 11% increase to insurance, which is an estimated increase of $127,000 to the general fund.
Last year the board approved paying an additional 8% increase to insurance premiums, or 19% over the last two years.
Last year the board approved an 8.7% increase to certified base pay. Over the last 7 years teacher base pay is up 31%. In addition, classified staff were moved to a minimum of $20/hour last year. Seven years ago the base minimum was $10.43/hour.
The district works hard to attract and retain staff through an incredibly competitive benefit package. Every full time employee has 100% paid health, dental, vision, life insurance policies, with the opportunity to purchase additional coverage for families. Staff also enjoy products like no cost surgery for the most common procedures, and free mental health counseling. The district also offers an HRA that pays up to $3000 annually to offset deductible costs. Employees also have access to additional products like a FLEX/125 account, accident, disability, and cancer insurance coverage.
Staff are given over 10 days of paid time off a year. The majority of staff are scheduled for 156 days of work. Staff can also accrue or roll those days over, and a veteran staff member can have saved up to 80 paid days off. The district also offers a sick leave bank, offering an additional 32 paid days off. So, in 8 years a staff member can potentially access 112 paid days off.
These are the benefits and support that keep staff coming back. As of March 8, we have 9 instructional staff who are leaving their positions. 1 person is retiring, 2 of them are pursuing other careers outside of teaching, 3 are moving out of state, 2 are potentially caring for elderly family members and at least 1 left the district due to personal reasons. 9 instructional staff out of 130, or 6.9% is the turnover rate. Everyone agrees our local cost of living and salaries are challenging, and the Board of Education is doing all it can to improve the inequities. For context,
Colorado is 50th in the nation for teacher pay when you compare our GDP with per pupil funding, as well as when you compare cost of living with teacher base pay.
Overall, the hiring season is in full swing and principals have filled 10 positions already. We still have 4.5 instructional openings we are confident we can fill. For context, next year there are expected to be 500,000 teacher openings in America with only 100,000 graduates entering the workforce. Colorado front range schools still have 100’s of unfilled positions.
The Salida School District is grateful for the incredible staff members who are dedicated to creating the best experience for students. Teachers and support classroom staff serve as more than just educators, but also ensure students have a safe space for their personal growth. They cultivate relationships with parents and community members and dedicate countless hours to lesson planning, meetings, and professional development. Beyond the classroom, staff provide knowledge and skills to keep buses running smoothly, buildings clean and welcoming, provide meals to students and staff, keep up with the latest technology, and ensure that the district is financially responsible with taxpayer dollars. The community is filled with amazing humans who want only the best for kids.
