Crane board approves salary plan
Inflation rate may alter pay increases
How much of a raise classroom teachers in the Crane School District will get next year is currently based on the rate of inflation as defined by Gov. Doug Ducey, which is the most conservative estimate being thrown around in Phoenix this week as work continues on Arizona’s budget.
That uncertainty makes dealing with school funding difficult, Crane Director of Management Services Dale Ponder told the district governing board at its Tuesday meeting.
“Anything that we discuss today will be exclusive of anything we would get from legislative action,” Ponder said at the start of his presentation. While the governor has proposed injecting $114 million into public education, Ducey’s $13 million across-theboard raise for teachers amounts to just a 0.4 percent increase, according to Capitol Media Services.
Ponder said that the district has to deal with what it has and “this is what we can do with the resources we have today.”
The district’s compensation and benefits committee has been meeting to determine raises and benefits for the upcoming school year. The district expects a 5 percent increase in health costs, and must implement accounting practices for moving to current year funding. Returning teacher contracts are usually offered before the end of the school year, Ponder said.
The district is proposing offering certified classroom teachers an increase of 2.5 times the rate of inflation, which the governing board approved Tuesday evening. However, there are three rates of inflation floating around the state capital at
the moment: the governor’s figure of 1.24 percent; another figure from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of 1.37 percent; and other reports showing a ROF of 1.31 percent, according to Ponder’s presentation.
Ponder noted in an email to district employees sent earlier in the week that the final rate of inflation would be set once the Legislature approves a state budget.
During the call to the public, board members heard from the president of the Crane Educators Association, Linda Rodriguez, who read a statement from the CEA on the district’s decision to reduce the amount provided for employee’s Health Savings Accounts. Part of the district’s proposed benefit changes would reduce the amount put into an employee’s HSA by $50. Currently, the district sets aside $100 a month into employee HSA.
Rodriguez said that move would be “devastating” for some employees and an extreme hardship.
Board member Sarah Claridge asked Ponder to address Rodriguez’ concern during the discussion following the presentation. Ponder said that some employees find the HSAs too restrictive and would rather have the funds available for other expenses such as rent, student loans or car repairs.
For its certified teachers, the district is also offering a one-time $1,000 retention stipend (payable to teachers with Arizona Teaching Certificate in December and May); a class size overage stipend and removing the maximum salary cap only for certified teachers.
All other staff members would see an increase of 1.5 times the rate of inflation, implementation of Prop 206; and provide guaranteed minimum increase in July and remainder in January 2018, if necessary, to reach $10.50 per hour.
The district is also making changes to its health offerings, adding Mexican providers and Teledocs; and also implementing an optional sick leave bank policy.
Board member Brenna Paulin said that the salary and benefits process is stressful.
“This is the time of year that creates a lot of anxiety for me as a board member, because what happens is that what we are able to give you is not a reflection of the value we have for you,” she said after the meeting had adjourned. “Unfortunately our hands are tied by the Legislature. I think that we’ve shown our good intentions by channeling a huge percentage of the money that we have into teacher salaries. We’re trying to do the best we can with what we have.”