| Updated: 2/25/2011 5:58 am |
Published: 2/24/2011 10:50 pm |
LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Little Rock School Board voted to approve a 1.5% pay increase for employees Thursday night, retroactive to the beginning of the school year.
The district’s lowest paid teachers make about $33,000/year, the raise would mean about $500 a year for teachers just starting out.
The purpose of the raise was to keep Little Rock teacher and employee salaries competitive with the rest of the state. The move had already been negotiated and approved last week between the education association and district representatives.
Also included in the school board vote was an increase in the amount the district contributes to employee health care. It would go up by about $18/month, also retroactive to the beginning of the school year.
The board approved a $1,000 for certified employees like teachers, $500 for others.
The money comes from Arkansas’ $91 million share of federal funds, from the education jobs fund program.
These raises are on top of the ones already agreed to based on education and experience in the 2009 union contract.
