MUSD board set to vote on salary increases

The Maricopa Unified School District governing board will discuss and could vote tonight on employee salary increases for next school year.

The board will vote whether to approve a salary increase based on experience for all qualifying employees for the 2014-15 school year, according to a district report. Staff’s recommendation to approve salary increases is contingent on continued funding of district-sponsored charter schools by the state Legislature.

The state House of Representatives is considering a moratorium on district-sponsored charter school funding passed by the state Senate last week.

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

No resolution has been reached, Smith said.

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 the report. This school year, the district added an “experience step” for all qualifying employees awarding pay increases.

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, according to the report. Salary increases for grant-funded employees would be funded through the respective grant programs.

The board meets at 6:30 p.m. at the District Office Administration Building, 44150 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. For more information on this agenda item and others click here to get to the meeting of your choice, then click on “print agenda” and then go to “detailed agenda.”

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