School board mulls possible pay increases

The Clark County Board of Education discussed at length potential increases to pay schedule rates for classified and certified staff for the upcoming fiscal year during its meeting Tuesday.

Aleisha Ellis, Clark County Public Schools director of finance, presented the board with multiple options for salary schedules that provided the cost effect of each choice. Options included a 1 percent overall raise, no raise, classified hourly schedule ($10 starting pay) and classified salary schedules (2 percent overall raise).

The fiscal year 2018-19 salary schedule will be effective July 1, according to the documents provided at the meeting.

Ellis said to accommodate the additional expenses that come with pay raises, the board may need to consider approving up to a 4 percent tax increase in August, when the topic will come before the board.

Board member Gordon Parido said he supported pay raises across the board for all staff and opposed cherry-picking salary increases.

Ultimately, the board approved a $10-per-hour minimum for all classified and certified pay schedule rates and a 2 percent increase in all food service job pay schedule rates. On both measures, board members Judy Hicks, Scott Hisle and Michael Kuduk voted in favor and Parido abstained from the vote. Board member Ashley Ritchie was absent and excused from Tuesday’s meeting.

The board also considered adding five new School Resource Officers (SROs).

The board failed to pass adding five SROs but instead approved adding three new SRO positions for the upcoming school year, bringing the total amount of SROs to seven. The average SRO salary is $45,250.

Hisle made the motion to add three School Resource Officers with Hisle, Parido and Hicks voting in favor and Kuduk opposed.

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