CPS salary improvements plus benefits add $4.25 million to budget
The Columbia Board of Education on Monday approved 24 salary schedules and the contract negotiated by the teacher's union.
Teacher salaries and the teacher's contract are contingent upon ratification by all teachers later this month.
Average teacher pay increased to $58,800, up from 57,337. Teacher base pay increased from $40,250 to $40,900.
The minimum wage for all classroom aides and custodial workers was increased to $15 an hour, because of the difficulty filling positions, said Heather McArthur, chief financial officer.
At one time, there were 30 unfilled custodial positions, McArthur said.
"We're really trying to make a push to get people into those positions," she said.
The average salary for custodians increased to $41,250 from $37,628 this year. For classroom aides, the increase was from 20,091 to $21,945 for the average worker.
The district is adding almost 26 new positions, adding $2.7 million to the budget.
The district is adding 1.5 English language teachers to accommodate the 200-student increase in English language-learning students, McArthur said. That costs $90,000.
Five new learning specialists in special education add $300,000, she said.
Calendar change
The school board approved a change to the school year calendar, making May 23 the last day of school, with May 24 and 25 teacher work days.
Student report
Hickman High School sophomores Karli Jones and Taylor Lee reported to the board on their research of "authorized unassigned time" or study hall at Hickman, Battle and Rock Bridge high schools.
Rock Bridge students are given the most freedom, they said.
"A lot of trust is put in Rock Bridge students," Karli said, adding that freedom is a privilege that can be taken away.
Students learn time management, prioritization, discipline, problem-solving and increased independence through unassigned study, they said.
Capital projects
The board approved capital projects totaling $103 million for 2023-24.
Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Board increases minimum wage for custodians, aides to $15 an hour
