Jackson school board approves improved salary plan

Beginning teachers in the Jackson School District this fall will earn $30,000 under a salary plan approved by the school board Tuesday night.

New teachers will make nearly $5,000 more than starting teachers in the Cape Girardeau School District.

Teacher salaries will increase by 5 percent under the new salary schedule, said superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson. The percentage increase includes the step raises that are tied to years of experience and educational training.

The board also approved pay raises of about 5 percent for non-teaching staff and raises of 4.5 to 5 percent for administrators.

Anderson's salary will increase by 4.5 percent to $128,170.

The board also voted to rehire retired high school principal Rick McClard. He will receive a salary of $89,102 next school year while also collecting retirement pay.

McClard retired at the end of this past school year.

Anderson said the district advertised the position but received no applications.

The salary for beginning teachers will increase by $1,500, The pay raises are important in hiring and retaining teachers, Anderson said.

"We hire a lot of teachers," he said. "Last year, we hired closed to 45 teachers. This year, we hired about 30 teachers."

Anderson said retirements, additions and teachers relocating out of the area are the main reasons why the district has had so many hirings recently.

Competitive salaries also are critical to efforts to filling teaching slots in certain subject areas where there is a shortage of applicants." It's difficult to find qualified math, science, special education and foreign language teachers," Anderson said.

The Jackson district has about 300 teachers.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123