Committee unveils steps-and-lanes compensation draft; board and staff press for clarity on market adjustments and longevity

A district compensation committee presented a draft steps-and-lanes compensation model for professional educators during the Financial Stability and Efficiency workshop. Committee members emphasized transparency, retention and fiscal sustainability in presenting the draft.

Committee materials described a three-lane structure (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral) with up to 30 steps, six quadrants per lane, and retention bumps at specified years of service. The proposal included a longevity stipend for employees with 15 or more years of district service that would be paid as a stipend (not added to base salary). Market-rate “deltas” were proposed for high-need or hard-to-fill positions (for example, school psychologists, special-education teachers or certain technical roles) to allow hiring and retention adjustments in those categories.

The internal cost estimate for first-year implementation (placing current staff into the new grid and funding the longevity stipend) was approximately $2.35 million, plus an estimated $268,000 for longevity stipends; the committee proposed using a multi-year board-committed fund and current recurring budget items to cover the initial rollout and to phase the model into the district’s long-term budget. Committee members said the board-committed reserve would be scheduled over four years and the expectation was that long-term runway would be achieved through a combination of annual CPI adjustments and ongoing budget planning.

Board members and committee participants raised several recurring questions: how often market-rate deltas would be reviewed (committee suggested every two to three years or as needed for clear hiring shortages); whether honoring more than seven years of external experience would be fiscally sustainable; and how internal staff placed below the market grid would be made whole (committee proposed a $1,000–$4,000 placement floor and ceiling for most placements, with exceptions where matching external market rates required adjustments).

Committee next steps: school-level briefings for staff and principals in November and December, development of a compensation handbook, further staff feedback meetings and a return to the board for a February workshop with recommended changes and possible action later in the spring if the board elects to adopt a final model.