The Ignacio School Board approved a 2 percent increase in base pay for district employees at their April 24 meeting, effective for the 2014-2015 budget year. They also approved step increases for years of service.
The approval drew audience applause and came after the board voted 4-1 against a 1 percent increase.
Superintendent Rocco Fuschetto reported preliminary budget numbers that just the step increase would cost the district $97,700; a 1-percent increase in the base plus step increases would cost $139,00; and the 2-percent plus step increases will cost $181,000.
Board president Toby Roderick asked, "What do we have to give up to get to 2 percent?"
Fuschetto said some of it might come from recovery of the "negative factor" - cuts in per pupil funding instituted by the Colorao Legislature over the past several years because of state budget shortfalls during the recession. The cumulative total of those cuts is around $1 billion statewide.
At the time of the Ignacio board meeting, legislators were debating some payback on that, $110 or $120 million, but with limits on how districts can use the money. Most districts, including Ignacio, have argued for a larger payback with no strings attached. The legislative session ended May 7.
On the 2 percent increase, Fuschetto said, "If you give the directive, we'll make it work."
Roderick asked Finance Director Marie Horn where she would get the money.
She said, "We're very generous with athletics."
Fuschetto estimated the district spends $30,000 to pay for athlete lunches on trips.
Roderick responded, "Are we generous to our kids at the fault of academics? We need to make that decision. Do we want to pay our teachers more or say athletics is more important? ... We need to make a philosophical decision that academics is more important than athletics."
After the board approved the 2 percent plus step increases, Fuschetto said, "Our staff has been working hard. I think it's the right thing to do. Marie and I will make this work."
Teacher base pay will increase from $30,300 now to $30,906.
