APS to bump up pay for all employees

All school workers set to see 2.5 percent jump in income

Some Albuquerque Public Schools employees will be getting a bigger pay bump than expected.

The district announced Friday it will increase salaries for all its employees by at least 2.5 percent — not just primarily for teachers as originally anticipated.

APS sent off its $1.35 billion budget for fiscal year 2019 to the New Mexico Public Education Department earlier this year, which originally included a 2.5 percent pay increase for teachers, counselors, school nurses and librarians. And it also included a projected 2 percent raise for other employees.

But now all APS employees are expected to get at least 2.5 percent pay increase instead, pending union negotiations.

“Most bargaining units have agreed on increases independently, and an announcement will be made when those have been made official,” Tami Coleman, APS chief financial officer, and Todd Torgerson, chief of human resources, said in a joint statement.

The salary bumps are expected to go into effect Sunday, July 1.

The state Legislature included funding for the 2.5 percent pay increase for teachers and for the 2 percent increase for all other public education employees. But the district will use about $675,000 of its own money to make the 2.5 percent pay increase happen for all employees.

The state funding plan also upped the minimum starting teacher pay from $34,000 to $36,000 per year.