MUSD board approves salary increases

The Maricopa Unified School District governing board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a salary increase based on experience for all qualifying employees for the next school year.

Language in the approval makes the vote contingent on the state Legislature continuing to fund all district-sponsored charter schools, including MUSD which converted this school year.

Specifically the approval is contingent on the Legislature’s provision in Senate bills 1485 and 1488 – the budget bill package – that was amended last week placing a moratorium on such funding for all schools not operating as charters by June 2013.

The budget bill is currently in the House of Representatives and a vote could come anytime.

Rep. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, said some members are now working on a equitable solution that would protect funding for existing charter schools and those already in the process of converting from district schools to charter schools “intact as much as possible.”

The district expects to receive $3.6 million from the state for converting to charter schools.

Superintendent Steve Chestnut said prior to the board vote that the district needs to move forward. The district needs to hire “good people.”

“If you don’t go out (recruit early), you don’t get the best candidates,” Chestnut said, adding the district currently is taking applications.

The district did not give raises based on experience to its employees for five years beginning in 2008-09 because the Legislature cut funding to education, according to a district report. This school year, the district added an “experience step” for all qualifying employees awarding pay increases.

***ADVERTISEMENT***The cost for an “experience step” for all qualifying employees for 2014-15 is $787,500 and would come from the district’s maintenance and operations budget.

If the moratorium goes through, Chestnut said in an interview Monday the district would continue with the academic focus plans in the charter schools created this year to start with the 2014-15 school year. However, without the money, the district would not be able to hire the 10 to 13 additional teachers it wanted to help bolster the academic focus plans and help reduce class size.