The Jefferson County Board of Education has given final approval to a three-year contract extension with the teacher’s union. It includes a 5% pay raise for district employees next year.
The decision makes two years in a row Jefferson County Public Schools has raised pay. JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said the pay increase is a “critical step” to recruit and retain employees as the district grapples with a staffing shortage.
The bump will cost JCPS about $40 million a year, which Pollio said is possible because of tax increases the board approved in previous years.
Combined with a 4% raise approved earlier this year, the pay boost will lift JCPS’ average teacher salary to about $71,000 a year.
Employees will begin to see the raise reflected in their paychecks in July.
The contract extension includes a “memorandum of understanding” for the Jefferson County Teachers Association and the district to continue negotiations on any other issues of interest to either party.
Pollio said the district is in the midst of negotiations with union leaders over offering paid parental leave.
“We’re working on that now and hope to solidify that in the next eight to 10 weeks,” Pollio told board members during their meeting Tuesday.
The superintendent said leaders were discussing “considerations around bereavement leave” as well.
