From staff reports
JEFFERSON COUNTY – In an effort to keep employees from jumping over to neighboring school systems for higher pay, the Jefferson County Board of Education has chosen to pass out some pay raises.
In a Thursday meeting, the board voted to approve the 2015-16 salary schedule, which offers higher payment to many non-teaching JefCoEd employees. The vote passed 5-0.
Some of the pay hikes will go to support staff employees, while some principals and coaches will receive an increase in supplements. Pay raises will also be seen in the central office.
These raises come on the heels of a major stretch of layoffs that the board has since rescinded.
Teachers who don’t also serve in a coaching position will not see any hike in payment. The new schedule will offer a 50-cent hourly increase for many support staff employees.
According to reports, the range of annual increases for longevity in the system has been upped to 28 years for many employees. Under the previous arrangement, some positions had their range capped at 11 years, which gave veteran staffers no financial incentive to stay in the system.
That 50-cent jump is expected to cost about $500,000 annually, and the longevity extension should tack on another $434,000.