Board of education raises temporary employee wages

  • By Kelly Sullivan
  • Wednesday, November 4, 2015 10:13pm
  • News

The Board of Education approved pay increases for three substitute and temporary employee positions effective Jan. 1, 2016.

Concerns were raised over the adequacy of the current wages not affected by the hike, while some board members supported the new schedule, which will raise up wages for bus drivers, pool employees and temporary help, during Monday’s meeting.

“I am really happy that we have increased this temporary pay schedule, and brought it up to par,” said board member Penny Vadla. “I wanted to thank the administration for that.”

A July 6 board action item for a pay schedule for the 2015-2016 school year included a substitute pay rate comparison among the Anchorage School District, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Juneau School District and Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. The Kodiak Island Borough School District was also included in the comparison.

The graph showed the Kenai Peninsula School District as having the lowest rates for substitute nurses and paraprofessionals. For substitute secretaries and custodians there was only one school district that paid less than Kenai’s, and for substitute food service, certified teachers and non-certified teachers, there were only two lower-paying school districts.

Board member Lynn Hohl, however, said rates for the aide-instructional assistants and the tutors and bilingual instructors (who are in the same category) are still insufficient. In the new schedule, the two positions are paid $10.50 per hour.

“They are working with our most at-risk kids and it just is an inequity to me,” Hohl said.

Hohl made a motion to increase the rates, which failed.

“I have a problem every year that … especially the people that are on the front line with our kids are the lowest paid people on the salary scale,” Hohl said. “I would like to raise them to $11, and I know we don’t have any money.”

Board member Marty Anderson said he wouldn’t approve the motion because the budget is already “razor thin.” He said he wanted to see what the cumulative cost would be prior to approving a $0.50 increase.

Board member Sunni Hilts said she would not support the motion.

“It’s not because I don’t support ‘frontline people’,” Hilts said. “We’ve got hundreds of them and I wish we could give everybody a raise.”

The pay increase for the three of 14 substitute and temporary positions on the schedule is in response to state-mandated minimum wage hikes, said Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Dave Jones.

Jones said the activity bus driver position rate is slated to increase to from $17.50 to $19.50, for example, because on Jan. 1, 2016, minimum wage will go up from $8.75 to $9.75. According to state statute, bus drivers are required to be paid double the minimum wage.

Director of Human Resources Joann Riener said the action item was before the board now so that the school district stays ahead of state required wage hikes.

The last time the school district raised wages was for 10 substitute positions on Aug. 4, 2014, and a raise for activity bus drivers on Jan. 12, 2015, according to Jan. 12 and Aug. 4 board action items.

Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

A 2015 Ford Explorer that was stolen from the Kenai Chamber of Commerce before crashing into a tree near Wells Fargo Bank is loaded onto a tow truck in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Car stolen, crashed in Kenai

The car was reportedly taken from the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, talks with supporters during a campaign meet-and-greet Oct. 12, 2024, at the Southeast Alaska Real Estate office near the Nugget Mall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
‘This is no town hall. This is propaganda’; Begich takes heat at 1st virtual constituent forum

Congressman set to deliver his first joint address to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday.

Protesters stand with signs in support of federal employees, federal lands and the U.S. Constitution stand along the Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna protesters call for Congress to oppose executive overreach

The local display was part of a “No Kings on President’s Day” effort orchestrated by the online 50501 movement.

Syverine Bentz, coastal training program coordinator for the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, displays a board of ideas during a Local Solutions meeting focused on salmon at the Cook Inletkeeper Community Action Studio in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
In search of salmon solutions

Cook Inletkeeper hosts meeting to develop community project to help salmon.

Lisa Gabriel, left, watches as beach seine nets are pulled from the waters of Cook Inlet at a test site for the gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
CFEC to consider seines for east side setnet fishery

The change is contingent on the State Board of Fisheries approving the gear during their March meeting.

A map of 2025 construction projects scheduled for the Kenai Peninsula. (Provided by Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)
Department of Transportation announces construction plans

Most of the projects include work to various major highways.

Seward City Hall is seen under cloudy skies in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seward adds full-time staffer for recently restarted teen rec room

Seward’s Parks and Recreation Department reclaimed responsibility for teen programming at the start of this year.

Gavin Ley stands with the “Go-Shopping Kart” he designed and built in his career and technical education courses at Nikiski Middle/High School in Nikiski, Alaska, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski students learn professional skills through technical education

Career and technical education gives students opportunity to learn skills, express themselves creatively, work cooperatively and make decisions.

Nikiski teachers, students and parents applaud Nikiski Middle/High Principal Mike Crain as he’s recognized as the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals 2025 Region III Principal of the Year by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education during their meeting in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski principal named Region III principal of the year

Crain has served as Nikiski’s principal for three years.

Most Read