By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
After three executive sessions, Hays USD 489 board members unanimously approved pay raises of varying amounts for teachers, classified personnel and licensed personnel for the 2024-25 school year during their meeting on Monday evening.
Board of Education negotiations with the teachers union - the master collective bargaining agreements - were approved with salary increases for certified employees.
Teachers will see $1,910 added to each cell of the teachers' salary schedule.
Stipends of $650 were added for special education staff.
"It's an occupation that's hard to fill and we wanted to keep people in those positions as well as encourage others to look at it," Superintendent Ron Wilson said during a Tuesday interview on KAYS Morning Blend.
A 6% wage increase was approved for classified employees - anyone who is not a certified teacher such as cooks, custodians, and bus drivers.
Licensed classified personnel including social workers, occupational and physical therapists, received a 4.16% salary increase.
Administrators received a 3.5% pay raise.
"We're very, very thankful for our board for doing that for all our employees," Wilson said.
Hiring teachers and other staff has been problematic, he told the board.
"We're starting to feel the impact of teacher vacancies and have to look at it differently and creatively."
He said there are four open teaching positions and no applications.
SEE RELATED STORY: Hays, other Kansas districts seek ways to address teacher shortage
Activity fees and lunch prices
The board also agreed to remove the $50 activity fee for high school and middle school students.
"We will no longer charge that $50 activity fee. We try to chip away at back-to-school fees for our families. We've done that for the last four years," Wilson said.
Remaining in place are the textbook/material fees of $70 for elementary, $90 for middle school and $95 for high school students.
Also approved was a 5-cent increase in lunch prices for the upcoming year.
"I think anybody who's gone to the grocery store understands food costs have gone up. We really tried to hold the line and our nutrition director Jessica Younker has done a great job of keeping things affordable for families and still providing very healthy and enjoyable meals for our students and staff."
Free breakfast will still be offered for any student who wants it. That program started last year.
Other business
In other business, the board heard an update on the school bond construction from Nabholz representatives. The projects are on budget and on schedule. A design change order was accepted for Hays High School.
Board members also approved the 2024-25 board of education calendar, personnel transactions, the contract with Fort Hays State University for use of Lewis Field, and a two-year lease with Hadley Center for Hays Virtual School.
The board also gave its approval of authority for year-end budget transfers by Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent of business/finance. The fiscal year for the school district ends June 30.