Saturday, June 17, 2023

Sparta superintendent confident school district will 'find a way' to cover approved 5.75% staff wage increase


SPARTA  Wisconsin) All staff in the Sparta Area School District will see a significant pay increase this coming academic year.

But how the district plans to pay for it is up in the air.

Last month the school board and Sparta Education Association went back and forth in negotiations before landing on a 5.75% increase to base pay for all district staff.

That raise is on top of the existing pay scale that rewards staff for years of service and teaching credits accrued.

It's a big decision for a district that closed an elementary school last year after a $2 million operating referendum failed.

Sam Russ, said the district will face tough decisions depending on the next state budget, but said they need to make the wage increase work.

"We may have to put off some capital improvement projects for another year. We may have to delay this, delay that, we have to prioritize some other funding," said superintendent Sam Russ.

Russ said he's not worried about finding the funds to pay for the higher wages because of his confidence in the district's ability to make smart decisions that move them forward.

Story Source: WKBT News8000 or CLICK HERE

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