Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board approves districtwide raises

Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education members approved a salary increase of about 3% for district teachers, administrators and other district employees.

The new salary schedule will take effect for the 2023-24 school year.

At a board meeting Monday, May 22, Lindsey Dudek, the district's chief financial officer, reported a new annual base pay for incoming first-year teachers of $40,357, an increase of $1,000. She said increasing the base pay will affect the annual step increase for teachers. She said, depending on the number of years employed with the district, teacher's salaries will have an average increase of 3%.

Dudek also said district administrators, coordinators and classified employees will receive salary increases based on the number of years employed with CGPS, with the average increase being the same 3%.

Dudek said raising district employee salaries is possible due to information received from Cape Girardeau County Assessor Robert Adams, who reported an estimated 5% increase in revenue to the district from Cape Girardeau property taxes. Dudek said this will give the district an estimated increase of $1.5 million for the 2023-24 school year.

According to Dudek, the 3% salary increase will cost the district an estimated $1.15 million in the 2023-24 school year. She said the remainder will be used to balance the district's 2023-24 budget.

Increasing Cape Girardeau's base pay for first-year teachers puts the district above Jackson School District's base pay of $38,000.

According to Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the average annual salary for teachers in Cape Girardeau in 2022 was $44,685. With a 3% increase, the average teacher salary will be $46,025.55 in 2023-24.

Comparatively, this would put Cape Girardeau higher than Jackson's 2022 average teacher salary and $2,800 above Scott City, but still well below the state average of $52,331.