Pay raises are coming to Geary USD 475 employees. The USD 475 Board of education has approved teacher contracts for the coming year that include average salary increases of 5.02 percent, although individual teacher raises will vary from two to more than five percent. Five percent average pay hikes were also approved for classified staff.
Work is still under way on a salary schedule for administrators but indications during the Tuesday night board meeting were that a structured salary schedule would be presented in the near future for administrative staff. Those increases be about in the five percent average range, with some raises above and some below that level.
Board member Jim Schmidt made a key point. "Regionally we're pumping an additional three-and-a-half million dollars into the economy. "Schmidt noted that USD 475 is the second largest employer in the community. "I can't speak enough for our district and our staff leadership that enabled us to do that."
The relatively quick completion of annual teacher contract negotiations and action taken Tuesday night by the Board to approve an early bond payoff were also cited during the meeting.