MANY DISTRICTS FREEZE TEACHER SALARIES; KELLY TEACHERS RETURN SALARY FUNDING

Teachers at Thomas Kelly Schools in Benton turned down an offer of a pay increase last week to help keep the district financially sound.

As a result, teachers in the Kelly, like many others in the region, will work for the same pay next year as they receive this year. In some districts, the pay freeze continues for the third year.

In a few districts, teachers will receive salary increases as they are allowed to advance on the salary schedule. But no area schools contacted have increased the schedule for this year.

Teachers are paid on a schedule which takes into account the number of years taught and a teacher's educational level.

Salary packages reflect what superintendents call a sorry state of funding for Missouri schools.

Many school districts are holding out hope that additional state funding will become available, if not through the legislature then through the court system. A number of teacher contracts reflect a promise to raise salaries if additional money arrives.

Kelly at Benton

Kelly School Superintendent Michael Johnson said next year's teachers pay freeze came as somewhat of a surprise.

"We were prepared to propose to the board to offer them their increment steps, but that would have meant deficit spending," he explained. "Nobody is comfortable with deficit spending. The teachers were the first to suggest that they not take the increment. I want our taxpayers to know the teachers did that."

Teacher salaries in the district were frozen this year and will remain the same for next year. Teachers will make the same salary for the third year in a row.

"Teachers visited with the board and voluntarily asked the board to do this," Johnson said. "I thought it was quite something for them to volunteer. You don't have that happen too often. They understand the budget situation all schools are facing. They do not want to get our school district in financial trouble."

Starting salary on the schedule is $17,510. Missouri mandates that all teachers make at least $18,000. The state supplements salaries to bring teacher pay up to that level.

The top salary, for a teacher with a masters degree plus 32 years of experience, is $27,010. Johnson said no one is at the top level in the district yet.

Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau teachers will advance on the salary schedule next year, but the newly-approved salary package is much different than this year's.

This year, in addition to allowing teachers to advance on the schedule, the district increased each step on the schedule by an average of 2.8 percent. Teachers also received a $700 one-time payment.

The top salary on the schedule that of a teacher with 25 years experience and a master's degree plus 30 additional graduate hours will be $36,060.

Chaffee

At Chaffee, Public Schools Superintendent Wayne Pressley said district teachers have had the same salaries since the 1990-91 school year because of salary freezes. This coming school year will be no different.

The district has a beginning teacher salary of $18,900. With 15 years of experience and a master's degree, a teacher reaches the district's top salary of $26,725, he said.

Pressley said the school district staff is understanding of actions taken to keep the district financially sound. The staff is aware of education funding reductions from the state, Pressley said, and has seen similar reductions to school districts in Southeast Missouri.

"I think the staff morale is good. They realize the situation as it is," he said.

Delta

In April, teachers at Delta schools signed their third consecutive annual contract which reflects no pay increase.

The contract included an addendum which said if additional money would become available, the Delta Board of Education would like to give teachers a raise. High School Principal Paul Kitchen said prospects for new money look bleak.

"We've had our salaries frozen for the past two years," Kitchen said. "We've all signed contracts for the same thing we've made for the last two years."

The beginning salary at Delta is $16,310. The state supplements that amount to bring the beginning salary up to the minimum $18,000.

The top salary on the schedule, for a teacher with 21 years experience and a masters degree, is $21,590.

"McDonald's pays their assistant managers more than I pay my top teacher," Kitchen said.

"It affects morale," Kitchen said. "I'm seeing more and more of my teachers disenchanted with teaching. We knew we weren't going to get rich. But there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Even when money become available, how are we going to make up for this lost money?"

Kitchen said several teachers have left the district for other occupations, where they can make more money.

Jackson

Teachers in Jackson will likely receive salary increases next year as they advance on the salary schedule. However, the schedule has not changed for the past two years and no increase is anticipated for the 1992-93 school year, said Superintendent Wayne Maupin.

The board of education will discuss the new salary schedule as an informational item at its May 26 board meeting. Teacher contracts will be mailed out after the board votes on the new salary schedule June 9.

While most teachers in the Jackson School District can still move up the district's 21-step salary schedule, the salaries of 34 long-term faculty members have been frozen at the 21st level for two years. Maupin says it appears the top-end lock will continue for a third year.

If there is no change in the schedule, it will mean no salary increase for a third year for the district's most trained and experienced teachers. "Our very best people, with lots of experience are now locked in at that 21st step," said Maupin. "To me, that's very discouraging, and a morale concern right there."

Currently, the top end salary for a Jackson teacher with a masters degree plus 16 graduate hours, and 21 or more years experience, is $33,013. The beginning teacher salary in the district is $18,400.

Meadow Heights

The financial picture look especially bleak in the Meadow Heights School District at Patton.

Beginning teachers are paid just $15,400 by the district, but the salaries are supplemented by the state to bring them up to the required $18,000.

At the top of the scale are teachers with a specialist degree and at least 16 years of experience who earn $23,925.

In addition, no health insurance benefits are provided by the district, said Superintendent Tom Waller.

A proposal to increase the school tax levy for the district failed in April. Waller said the success of the proposal would have meant no more cuts would have been necessary. Salaries have been frozen again for next year, he said.

"We've cut art, our vocational agriculture program and one physical education instructor, limiting the number of classes we can offer," Waller said, adding teachers have seen programs cut and in general did not expect a pay raise.

"They understand the financial crunch, in fact, our salary committees did not ask for increases. Everybody's trying to work together because we know we have to live within our budget," he said.

"This is a terrible way to finance schools," he said. "And this has been the worst year ever."

Nell Holcomb

Nell Holcomb Superintendent David Fuemmeler said it's too early to tell just what will happen with teacher salaries at his school.

The teacher committee which helps determine salaries met for the first time last week.

Teachers signed a contract for next year which reflects no increase, but Fuemmeler said that contract could be adjusted.

"Anything is possible from a complete salary freeze to a possible raise of the schedule," Fuemmeler said.

"We won't receive our tuition bill from Cape and Jackson until mid-June," Fuemmeler said. Nell Holcomb, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school district, pays tuition for its students to attend high school at the other schools.

"We have to get our June final budget figures before we can make any final determination."

The salary schedule was frozen at Nell Holcomb this year and teachers were frozen at their steps.

But they did receive a 2.2 percent bonus based on their location on the schedule. The contract teachers signed for next year does not reflect this 2.2 percent bonus.

"We've tighten our belts here too," Fuemmler said. "But we have not had to reduce like some of the other districts."

Starting salary at Nell Holcomb is $19,440. The top salary on the schedule, for a teacher with a masters degree plus 15 years experience is $29,300.

Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge teachers also will work for the third consecutive year for the same pay, said Superintendent Roger Tatum.

"We are where we were last year," he said. "We're frozen like ice.

"Obviously because of the lack of state funds and since we haven't heard anything additional out of legislature and since teacher contracts must go out by May 15, I recommended that we adopt the salary schedule with no increase and no increments."

He said the salary agreement includes a stipulation that if money becomes available it will be passed along to teachers.

One teaching position was eliminated because of the budget situation.

"We hope to about break even in the teachers fund next year," Tatum said. "We are going to deficit spend about $35,000 in that fund this year."

The beginning salary in Oak Ridge is $16,200 with the state making up the difference to bring that salary to $18,000.

The top salary on the schedule is $24,219 for a teacher with a masters degree plus six additional hours and 20 years experience.

"Fortunately we have a very understanding staff," Tatum said. "They understand it's not the district's fault and not the fault of the school board. It's the fault of the state of Missouri for not funding its schools.

Oran

Teacher salaries at Oran Public Schools are frozen for the coming year.

For the current year, teachers in the district were allowed to advance on the schedule, but the pay at each of the steps remained the same.

Beginning salary in the district $15,765 brought up to $18,000 by the state.

The top salary on the schedule, for a teacher with a specialists degree and 15 years experience, is $20,805

Principal Don Moore said, "Even though our school is sound financially, the state cutbacks have no left us in the best fiscal position.

"We have a top-notch staff. It's disappointing to all of us that we can't compensate them for what they're worth."

Perryville

In Perryville, the Board of Education voted in March to freeze all salaries in the district for the 1992-1993 school year, including those of administrators.

District employees did receive a raise for the current year. Each step on the salary schedule was increased 3 to 4 percent and teachers moved on the schedule.

Superintendent Ronald Fitch said the freeze did not come about as a result of a failed proposal to increase the district's school tax in April. That money would have gone to pay for employment of two additional elementary level teachers, one counselor and operating expenses.

Other budget cuts are under consideration, Fitch said. A financial action team made up of some citizens is assisting the board with budget decisions, he said.

"We have to deal with this in a systematic, analytical way," the superintendent said. "We have to look at expenditures and priorities and determine if and when cuts have to be made.

Beginning teachers at Perryville earn $20,000. Those with specialist degrees and 30 years of experience earn $31,250, and those with doctorate degrees and 30 years of experience earn $31,850.

Scott City

Teachers in Scott City did not receive a raise in pay for the current year, but if state financing improves, salary increases are a priority for next year, said Superintendent Bob Brison.

"Combined with what resources may be available from the state and the reductions in expenditures we have already made, we may be able to come off the freeze and resume the salary schedule," Brison said. "But it's too early to determine that."

Over the past two years, the school board has cut more than a quarter of a million dollars in expenses from the district's budget, resulting in teachers having to take on bigger work loads.

Brison said because of previous cuts, a "modest" increase in teacher's salaries for the coming school year may be possible. But because of uncertainty in the amount of state funding the district will receive, teachers have already been offered contracts for next year based on their current salary.

"I really admire what our teachers have done," he said. "They've responded very positively to the increased work loads they have encountered."

Beginning teachers with a bachelor's degree earn $18,500 in Scott City. On the opposite end of the salary schedule are teachers with a specialist degree (masters degree plus 30 hours of instruction) and at least 18 years of experience, who earn $29,600.

Scott County Central

Teachers at Scott County Central in Morley will receive a salary increase for the coming year. Teachers will be allowed to move the increment steps on the schedule.

The schedule, however, is the same as it was in 1990.

Teachers received no pay raise for the current year.

The beginning salary at Scott County Central is $18,500. The top salary, for a teacher with 25 years experience and a masters degree is $25,650.

(Information for this story was also provided by David Hente and E.J. Rotert.)