Historic teacher raises approved in new budget

Teachers in Maricopa can expect a substantial pay hike following the unanimous adoption of the Maricopa Unified School District budget on Wednesday. 

The budget, which has been scrutinized since January, contains several key provisions aimed at improving operations and the well-being of staff and students. 

A hefty $80 million was earmarked for maintenance and operations with nearly $4 million allocated toward staff raises.  

The new figure reflects an increase of $7.7 million compared to last year’s budget. 

In a bid to retain and support employees, all staff members will receive at least a 7% salary bump. 

Teacher base pay increased to $52,500 from $50,000. Registered nurses in the district will see a 12% raise, too. 

“This will keep us competitive with neighboring districts,” MUSD Chief Financial Officer Jacob Harmon said in a board meeting earlier this year. 

According to a National Center for Education Statistics report, the average teacher salary in Arizona has been steadily increasing from $51,951 in the 2019-2020 school year to $55,164 last year. 

Maricopa’s numbers lagged during that time. But not any longer, Superintendent Tracey Lopeman said Thursday. 

For the upcoming school year, the average salary for MUSD teachers sits at $63,000. That’s the first time the city’s schools paid a higher salary than the state average. 

“That was a goal of ours,” Lopeman said. “And it took us four years to get there, but we got there.” 

Salaries may differ based on promotional levels, qualifications and areas of work. 

Lopeman also noted that high-paying jobs are not only vital to the city’s economic development, but also to the success of the district. 

“High-paying jobs are important,” Lopeman said. “They’re very important in MUSD as well. When people are properly compensated, they stick around. And good things happen when people stick around.”