Increase made in teachers’ salaries

EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, The Herald is reprinting historic stories from the South Okanagan focusing on the biggest news story of each year.

JANUARY 6, 1921 — Increases in salaries to teachers in Penticton amounting to about 50 per cent of those sought by the members of the school staff have been granted by trustees.

At a meeting of the board last night on motions of Trustee McDougall and Macdonald, and agreed to unanimously by Trustee Nicholson, Finch and Keys, the general advance was made.

The teachers had asked for advances aggregating about $3,500 for 1921, but the board felt that despite the quality of service given by the staff in Penticton, the trustees would not be justified in making any heavy advances considering the fact that the cost of living is now dropping.

Vernon and Kelowna boards, however, have made advances in teachers’ salaries and Penticton felt that it must be in line for this year otherwise its present strong staff of teachers might be broken up. Salaries on the Coast are already in excess of those paid here.

The Vernon salaries for 1921 are as follows: High school principal $3700; three assistants $3,000; public school, principal, not yet settled, but 1920 salary $2,000, supervisor for lower grades, 1,900; senior grade teachers, one at $1,500, two at $1,440; intermediate Grades, one at $1,440, two at $1,330, one at $1,080; junior grades, one at $1,330, four at $1,260, receiving class, three at $1,440. The Kelowna salaries are in accordance with those at Vernon. Increases have been made all along the line. The Summerland salaries for 1920, and which have not as yet been increased as the last increased was said to be in September are: High school principal $2,400, assistant $2,000; public school principal $2,400, assistant $2,000, one assistant at $1,380, one at $1,300, four at $1,200, and one at $900, with manual training teacher at $1,800. In view of the fact that the Coast scale is somewhat higher than the Interior and with the increase at Vernon and Kelowna before them, the board agreed that it could not do otherwise than make some advance in the teachers’ salaries for Penticton, particularly having in mind the excellent reports which inspectors make of the work of the staff here.

While the board felt that in the interested of the ratepayers it could not agree to increases totaling $3,500, it was willing to go about halfway and accordingly gate advances which will total about $2,000.

In almost every area the new salary to be paid each teacher for 192 represents an increase over the 1920 rate of about 50 per cent of the rise sough in the schedule recently presented by Principals Miller and Matheson.