What’s happening?
The Baltimore County Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve system wide pay raises in fiscal year 2023, Sabrina LaBoeuf reports for The Baltimore Sun. The measure includes $50 million allocated from the general fund and an additional $2.7 million from its food service budget. The pay raises come at a time when there is a nationwide teacher shortage.
How much are the pay increases for county school employees?
The salary increases would be the largest for teachers in the region, and they would include adjustments for the cost of living and allow teachers to reach their maximum salary five years earlier, according to a tentative agreement with the Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO). The average gross salary increase for TABCO union members would be about $5,800. For new teachers with a bachelor’s degree, starting salaries would increase by $4,000, and by 2026, their starting salary would be about $60,579.
Employees in the AFSCME union, such as bus drivers and custodial staff, would receive $15 an hour as a minimum starting wage, which is about $3 more than the state’s minimum wage.
Anything else I should know?
The budget allocation also includes raises for nonunionized school employees. The board canceled public comment on the meeting and moved it online due to several board member absences.
You can read more here.
