Photo by Erin Nelson
Kevin Pughsley, a sixth grade Earth science teacher at Berry Middle School, reveals the different layers of a bowl as the class learns about core samples and geologic columns of the Earth on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.
The Hoover school board is considering salary increases for employees for this coming school year that would cost the school district an estimated $2.9 million in local funding, Chief Financial Officer Michele McCay said.
The state Legislature in May passed a 2% pay increase for public education employees and funded that increase, but because Hoover pays many of its employees higher than the state salary schedule, there is an additional cost that comes from Hoover’s local funds.
The pay increase recommended by Superintendent Dee Fowler not only covers the 2% mandated increase by the state but also provides some additional increases in an effort to make Hoover more competitive with nearby school districts, McCay said.
For example, Hoover is considering a salary schedule that would boost pay for first-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree by 5% this coming school year compared to the 2022-23 school year and also give raises each year of their first 15 years of employment and every two years beyond that point, instead of no salary increase for years 16-30.
Hoover first-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree this past school year made $45,281, but the recommended starting pay for 2023-24 is $47,580. Starting pay for a first-year teacher with a doctorate would be $63,500.
A teacher with 20 years of experience would make anywhere from $66,510 with a bachelor’s degree to $83,750 with a doctorate. Teachers with 35 years of experience would make anywhere from $72,500 with a bachelor’s degree to $91,800 with a doctorate.
Also, the state this year is requiring that custodians be paid at least $15 an hour, but the proposal being considered by the Hoover school board would increase custodial pay by another 2%, McCay said.
The proposed salary schedule also increased the pay for central office secretaries to give school-based bookkeepers and secretaries incentive to fill vacancies at the central office when they occur, McCay said.
McCay told the school board she is confident the school system can afford the pay increases for a variety of reasons.
One is that decreased enrollment meant a reduction of 16 teaching positions, saving the system about $1 million, McCay said. Also, due to rising interest rates, the school system is making much more money in interest this year than anticipated. The school system had budgeted to receive about $210,000 in interest this year but already has received $1.7 million in interest in the first seven months of the fiscal year, McCay said.
Hoover also has 16 more teachers who qualified for the state’s Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science program for middle and high school math and science teachers, saving the district $248,000 in local funding, McCay said.
School board Vice President Alan Paquette said he’s definitely in favor of the pay increases.
“I want us to be more than competitive. I want us to be able to attract the best teachers and retain the best teachers,” Paquette said.
Salaries and benefits make up 85% of the Hoover school system’s expenses — roughly $139 million, according to the fiscal 2023 budget. Hoover is staying within budget so far this year and as of the end of April had 11.75 months’ worth of expenses in reserves, McCay said.
McCay presented the proposed salary schedule to the school board Tuesday night and said she expects Fowler to ask the board to approve it in a special meeting later this month so it can take effect July 1.
The state-approved pay increases don’t actually take effect until Oct. 1, but Hoover and some other school districts frequently make the pay increases effective July 1. Doing so would cost Hoover about $650,000 in local funding, McCay said.
SALARY SUPPLEMENTS
The Hoover school board on Tuesday night did approve salary supplements for teachers who coach athletics and work with other extra-curricular programs, such as band, choir and the debate team.
Changes to the supplement schedule included:
- Adjusting the amount for winning an atheltic state championship to $1,000 for head coaches and $500 for assistant coaches in football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball, and $500 for head coaches and $250 for assistant coaches in cross country, cheer, flag football, swimming and diving, indoor track, wrestling, bowling and outdoor track
- Adjusting the receiver coach supplement to $10,000
- Adding an additional volleyball assistant coach supplement for $3,000
- Adjusting the high school cheer sponsor supplement to range from $1,900 to $3,300
- Adjusting the additional basketball assistant coach supplement to $2,500
- Adjusting the varsity indoor track coach supplement to range from $2,000 to $4,500
- Adjusting the varsity wrestling assistant coach supplement to range from $3,325 to $5,000
- Adding an additional baseball assistant coach supplement for $3,000
- Adding an elementary school music coach supplement for $1,000
- Adjusting the high school choral director supplement to range from $8,000 to $10,750, the high school assistant choral director to range from $4,200 to $5,650 and the middle school choral director supplement to range from $4,950 to $6,700
- Adding a middle school acapella choir director supplement for $1,200
- Adjusting the high school theater sponsor supplement to range fro $8,000 to $10,750 and the assistant theater sponsor supplement to range from $4,200 to $65,650
- Adjusting the college and career specialist supplement to $6,800
- Adjusting the senior and junior class sponsor supplements to range from $2,500 to $4,000Adjusted the Ambassador sponsor supplement to range from $2,500 to $4,000
- Adjusting the student newspaper and yearbook sponsor supplement to range from $2,500 to $4,000
- Adjusting the district lead nurse supplement to $6,800
In other business Tuesday, the school board:
- Approved the fiscal 2024 capital plan. See more about that plan here.
- Agreed to pay $907,000 to expand and renovate the football locker room shower at Hoover High to increase the number of shower heads from eight to 16 or 18
- Hired Aho Architects to design an athletic restroom and storage area for the athletic fields at Bumpus Middle School. The estimated cost of the project is $940,000 to $960,000, and the estimated architect fees are $94,711.
- Agreed to pay Interior Elements $261,750 for cafeteria tables and chairs
