STAFFORD — Teachers and school faculty could see a five percent increase in their yearly salaries if a new proposal is included in the School Board’s budget.
The Stafford Education Association proposed an across-the-board increase for all employees during a budget committee meeting with the School Board held in early November.
“We have to focus on the priorities when it comes to the budget,” said Jeff Trigger, teacher and SEA member. “If we desire to retain our best educators, then it’s time to pay them as if we want them to stay.”
The proposal would cost the school system nearly $11 million dollars. If included in the budget, the new salaries would take effect in July 2019.
A first-year teacher currently makes $44,075 if the salary increase is included that number would jump to $46,278. The increase would put Stafford over the median market range.
Falmouth District School Board Member Dr. Sarah Chase proposed a plan in November to give residents and employees in the county the idea that the School Board can realistically pay for the increase.
“If this were going to be paid for by the real estate tax, the tax would have to be increased by 7.3 cents,” Chase said. “The owner of a median-priced home would see a $215 increase in their real estate tax.”
The county’s current real estate tax, set by the Board of Supervisors is 99 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
According to the SEA’s presentation, Stafford’s teacher salaries are exactly at the median market when comparing to other jurisdictions near Stafford. The comparison jurisdictions are Spotsylvania, Prince William, Chesterfield, Albemarle, Fredericksburg, Fauquier, Loudoun, Hanover, and Henrico.
According to Chase, teachers who leave Stafford go to Prince William and Spotsylvania counties for the higher pay. The average teacher pay in Prince William is currently at $53,339. Meanwhile, in Stafford, the average teacher salary is $42,960, well below Prince William’s average pay.
“We are nowhere near the middle of Spotsylvania and Prince William Counties salary scales,” Chase said. “In order to get to the median of those two salary scales, we would need to request $22 million. That would just cover teachers and no other employees.”
Last week, Governor Ralph Northam proposed a five percent increase for all teachers in the state. Northam’s proposal is contingent on a funding match from local school districts would take effect on July 1, 2019. If the proposal were approved, it would be the state’s largest single-year raise in 15 years.
Later during the week, Northam also announced his plan to throw more money at the state’s schools, this time school counselors would be receiving extra funds. Northam says that a $36 million increase would allow a better student to counselor ratio. The Virginia School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of one counselor to every 250 students.
No school system in the state meets that recommendation.
Both of Northram’s proposed policies would have to pass through the General Assembly when it meets again in January.
