Last Updated on June 15, 2017, 10:58 PM | Published: June 15, 2017
It took two board meetings in one week, but the Oklahoma City Public Schools board of education has granted retroactive pay raises to all full-time district employees.
The raise goes into effect for the 2016-2017 school year now ending and will be applied to qualifying employees’ paychecks at the end of June when all public schools’ fiscal years end.
The total price tag for the retroactive raises came to $2.9 million according to OKCPS chief financial officer Jean Bostwick.
Money for the raises was available at the end of the year due to careful management that anticipated the worse scenario with the Legislature, which did not happen, said Bostwick.
Thursday
Thursday’s meeting completed their work by giving raises to professional and technical employees who mostly work in information technology or the administration.
The board gave qualifying pro-tech employees a retroactive and permanent $1,200 raise.
That raise will be added as a separate item on qualifying employees’ last paycheck of the fiscal year at the end of June. Then, it will become a part of their regular salary schedule in the 2017-2018 school year.
Also, pro-tech contract days were reduced from 248 to 245 creating another type of raise.
Monday
Monday, the board granted step raises to district teachers, principals and assistant principals. Support staff received a raise in their hourly wage.
Step schedules determine pay based on years of experience and education.
Teachers, principals and support staff all have separate unions that represent them in collective bargaining with the board of education.
In an email to employees after the decision Thursday Superintendent Aurora Lora praised employees for their hard work during the year.
“Your loyalty to OKCPS and to our students is truly what makes this such a special place to work.”
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
