COLUMBIA, MO. -- It appears the lowest paid hourly employees in the Columbia Public School District are getting a raise during the next school year.
Members of the district’s finance committee are recommending a pay increase of up to 10% for more than 400 employees.
The district’s lunchroom workers, custodians and staff members working with disabled children are making minimum wage or close to it.
The proposed raises would keep district salaries competitive with those at the University of Missouri and fast food restaurants.
Money for the raises would come from unexpected savings in school district insurance costs.
School Superintendent Dr. Chris Belcher said, “We’re taking some savings that we have from our health insurance and our worker’s compensation program that has not increased as much as we thought it would. We’re applying that money to the salaries of our lowest paid hourly employees. We’re taking about $250,000 and transferring it into a compensation pool because we have had such good savings on our insurance accounts.”
Belcher expects the Columbia Board of Education to approve the salary increases at their meeting on April 9.
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