RAISES LIKELY TO KEEP MORE CAPE TEACHERS IN DISTRICT, BUT TAX INCREASE MAY BE SOUGHT

The Cape Girardeau School District finds itself in a tough situation. It is bleeding faculty and staff who are leaving for better-paying jobs, but its long-term revenue outlook, while not bleak, isn't exactly rosy.

Last week the Board of Education approved salary increases that will add nearly $760,000 to the budget for the school year that starts in August. The move comes two years after the district froze salaries in expectation of tight budget constraints.

Under the plan, employees will be paid according to their proper position on the district's salary schedule, which determines pay based on job title, years of experience and level of education.

The district's superintendent, Dr. Dan Steska, while supportive of the decision, is more than a little concerned about its financial impact. Still, with 41 percent faculty turnover over the past three years, the district had little choice but to offer more competitive salaries or continue to lose employees to other school systems or even more lucrative positions in the private sector.

The district expects to have only 15 percent turnover from the past school year, but it would like to keep that figure below 10 percent a year in the future. The only way to do this is with better pay.

Steksa and other district leaders are being candid in warning that the current pay increases are only a short-term solution. Without additional revenue, the district could again be forced to freeze salaries and find itself back at square one. In light a these expectations, voters may be asked to approve another tax increase for operational expenses within the next two years.

Tax increases are seldom popular, and the district will need to make a strong case to convince voters. However, school officials have done much in recent years to restore community confidence. District patrons should keep an open mind.