As inflation rises, school districts are making sure their teachers’ salaries are keeping up with state levels.
“Our salary schedules rank 10th in the state, and 4th in Northern Kentucky,” said Ludlow Independent Schools Superintendent Michael Borchers. “Fort Thomas, Kenton County and Boone County are above us, but while salaries are a strong factor, there are other factors that go into teacher job satisfaction, such as benefits, as well as making them feel appreciated.”
Borchers announced at his last board meeting that both the certified employees, who are mostly teachers, and the classified employees, who are other employees in the district, will get a 2 1/2 percent raise, plus any step raises they are in line for that they would regularly receive.
He explained that when they factor in the step raises, the actual raise across the board will be 4.2 percent.
“We had a big overhaul last year,” Borchers said. “We had a 4.5 percent increase plus steps. But since we always make sure we are comparable with other districts all over the state, we have a 92 percent retention of teachers.”
Early each calendar year, districts take a look at the salary trend numbers that each school district submits, and then they study their own salary levels. It is critical, Borchers said, that the teachers in a district are pulling in salaries that are commensurate with the salaries of their peers who are in the same field. With prices of everything — from food to gas — rising steadily, teachers (and pretty much anyone else who has to work for a living), need to believe they are earning as much as they can to counteract the rising prices.
“In addition to the pay scale, work climate is an important factor for employees,” Borchers said. “Last year we gave the teachers independent dental care as kind of a perk, and we have an (employee assistance program) at St. Elizabeth for mental services. We try to do special things for the employees, as well as keeping their salaries competitive.”
He added that when a district is able to keep good teachers for 20 years, that is a blessing, because usually those teachers have students who score high numbers on test results, and that helps the district look good in the state ratings.
Kristy Collins has been teaching English to juniors and seniors for 20 years at Ludlow High School.
“With the rising cost of so many things, every little bit helps,” Collins said. “The raises are a way to show that we are valued.”
Collins grew up in Ludlow and graduated in 1996, so she loves the close-knit community. She said she likes the relationships that teachers can form with their students and their families.
“I feel very fortunate to work for Ludlow Schools,” Collins said. “Our administrators treat us with respect and value our feedback.”
Borchers said the state raised their SEEK funds — which is based on the Average Daily Attendance numbers of students who are in school — this year and next year. These funds help with a district’s budgetary needs and help determine the raise increases. This year the amount of SEEK money per student went from $4,000 to $4,100, and next year it will increase to $4,200.
“It is important to make our teachers feel that they are appreciated,” Borchers summed up. “We want this to be a destination job for teachers.”
