Teachers’ Pay Hike Is Biggest in 4 Years
Teachers have been given a 7% pay raise, a move that Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees hope will keep the employees from moving elsewhere.
“Every parent must demand a salary increase for the teachers,” said parent Cindie Borcaman at a board meeting last week. “Otherwise we will watch the demise of Newport-Mesa.”
As a result of financial problems at the district, teachers went two years without raises and received increases of 1% and 1.2% in the last two years. Teacher salaries in the district ranked among the lowest in the county.
The board has not yet decided what cuts it will make to pay for the pay raises. District officials said the higher teacher salaries will cost $3.3 million annually.
Among the cuts the board is considering is the $39,000 annual contribution to the Environmental Nature Center, an outdoor classroom used by all the district’s schools.
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