Terrebonne Parish school workers to receive 2% pay hike

Educators working in the Terrebonne Parish Public School System will kick off the 2007-08 school year with bigger smiles, following the school board’s vote to give them a two percent pay raise. The pay hike will cost taxpayers an annual $2.4 million.

Among the salary adjustments the board approved are:

• Extending the pay scales from the current 10 to 11 years of experience, up to 25 years of experience for all non-instructional employees, which will cost a minimum of $301,000 annually. The salaries were previously frozen at 10 years.

• Implementing an administrative index so that the salaries of its administrators will be competitive with other parishes in the area. This will cost, at minimum, an annual $546,000.

• Applying an index to the teacher pay scale for all teachers contracted for more than 182 days, costing, at minimum, $36,000.

• Adding $500 for master’s degrees, for a one-time cost of $324,000.

The total package will carry a one-time cost of $3.5 million.

The pay increases, will, among other things, increase a beginning teacher’s salary by an extra $663.50, and an average custodian’s pay by $438.98, Finance Director Harris Henry said.

This set of salary recommendations, compiled by Superintendent Ed Richard and a board-appointed salary study task force, marks the fourth time the board has given raises in less than a year.

Last spring, the board gave a two percent one-time salary incentive. During the summer, the board gave a four percent increase. And in November, it gave a three percent pay increase.

Board Member Rickie Pitre cast the only dissenting vote, asking instead for a one-time three percent incentive across the board.

In other business, the board approved the 2007-2008 Terrebonne Parish School Calendar.

The school year will begin Aug 6 for employees and Aug 7 for students. It will end May 23, 2008.

The board will observe these dates for holidays: Labor Day, Sept 3; Thanksgiving, Nov 19-23; Christmas and New Year’s, Dec 21 through Jan 3; Mardi Gras, Feb 4 through Feb 6; Easter, March 21 to March 28.

If no make-up dates are needed, the Christmas holiday break will begin on Dec 19; also, the students’ last day will be May 22, and teachers’ May 23.