Nixa district increases teacher pay, adds rewards for most experienced teachers

The Nixa school board recently made a series of decisions aimed at making the district a more attractive workplace and slowing teacher turnover.

A new policy on bereavement leave was approved Thursday along with revisions to existing rules for staff absences and payments for unused sick leave.

The changes came shortly after an annual pay raise and moving the starting teacher pay to $42,300 — from $41,000 last year.

The average pay raise for school staff was 2-3% but for teachers it was 4-5%.

The district also added "steps" to the top of its salary schedule to build in financial rewards for teachers who work more than 30 years.

Board president Josh Roberts said the district wanted to make it worthwhile for an educator with a master's degree or higher who wants to keep working.

"The district continues its commitment to teacher recruitment and retention by making our pay competitive to attract the best teachers to Nixa. In addition to providing a pay increase of between four and five percent to all teachers, the district added additional steps to the top of the salary schedule to enhance compensation for the district’s most experienced teachers," Roberts said.

"The pay increase, which represents one of the largest year-to-year increases in Nixa’s history, is evidence of the school board’s commitment to educators and students."

In policy GCBDA, first approved in 1998, the district revised the definition of "immediate family" for the purpose of using sick leave to include an employee's partner or significant other and the spouses of siblings. The rest of it remained the same.

Full-time employees who pay into the retirement system were eligible to be paid for unused sick leave for any days beyond 80 at the rate of half the "per day rate" paid to substitutes. The amount was increased to a flat $80 a day.

The district also approved a "true bereavement leave" instead of just using sick or annual leave.

Starting in the 2024-25 year, the district will provide employees with three paid bereavement days due to the death of an immediate family member.

If additional time is needed beyond the three bereavement days, an employee who contacts their supervisor will be permitted to use up to three additional six days.

"The change in our bereavement policy is a way of making sure we take care of our staff and their families when things happen. Our school staff are all one big family and we want to do what we can to help them when tragedy strikes," said Mark McGehee, executive director of human resources.

"We want our staff to know that Nixa is a place that truly values positive work relationships, and gives them access to time and resources."

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The board also changed policy GBCBC regarding staff absences and tardiness noting they can be disciplined or terminated for missing more than 10 days a semester or 20 days per school year.