By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board unanimously approved raises for teachers, but was split on raises for directors and administrators.
Traditionally, the school board has given teachers and administrators the same percentage raises.
After multiple executive sessions, the board deviated from that custom this year.
The board approved the negotiated contract with the teachers, which added $1,450 to the base salary scale for the 2026-27 school year.
The teacher’s negotiated agreement also reduces the number of in-service days from six to four.
Board President Curt Vajnar then separated the remaining motion to approve classified and licensed staff, and directors and administrators.
The board approved a wage increase to $35.43 per hour for Brenda Urban, fiscal/volunteer coordinator for Early Childhood Connections and Carla Fellhoelter, board treasurer.
The board also approved a salary increase to $90,000 for Russ Henningsen, director of transportation.
The board approved a $1 increase, or 3.12%, whichever was higher, for classified staff, including employees such as cooks and bus drivers.
The board approved a 3.12% pay increase for licensed support staff, including occupational and physical therapists.
Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent for business, said this included staff who are licensed but are not a part of the teachers’ negotiated agreement.
These staff members do not have a pay scale on which they can gain raises for longevity or additional education, Hipp said.
Administration
The board was split on administrator and director salaries, which include 23 people on the district’s payroll.
Board member Allen Park moved to table the administrator and director salaries until the June 15 meeting. Board member Ken Brooks argued against the motion.
“We had a special meeting scheduled, because we were given all of the information. I don’t think there needs to be any prolonging. … I think we should get the work done,” Brooks said.
The motion failed.
Administrators and directors currently do not have a salary scale.
Board member Jayme Goetz proposed a salary scale based on what she said was the average of salaries from other 5A schools.
She said the salary creates more transparency and mirrors the teachers’ pay scale.
The pay scale started at $75,000 for a first-year assistant elementary school principal and topped out at almost $198,000 for a superintendent with 15 years of experience.
“I know we will have some people who are already above this, and some people who aren’t at this,” Goetz said.
Under the current system, administrators and directors are not eligible for vertical or horizontal movement on a scale. They receive cost-of-living increases.
Goetz said the district could give optional bonuses for longevity and increases in education.
Vajnar said the salary scale would explain where all the salaries are and how they came about.
Superintendent Ron Wilson said the district already has an index scale for administrators and directors based on the position, education and years of service.
Brooks said he thought the salary scale would eliminate contract negotiations in hiring and disadvantage the district in recruiting.
“The teachers have people negotiating for them … whereas administrators don’t have,” Brooks said. “To box them in like that is not appealing.
“We are already looking at administrators—they have a hostile board toward them right now. Why stay if I can’t negotiate? Why stay if we are going to continue to have this atmosphere?”
Shanna Dinkel, assistant superintendent for curriculum, said the board would need to ensure any information it gathers from other districts for a pay scale is current.
Although several board members said the salary scale warranted further discussion, they said they needed more time to evaluate the proposal.
Board member Craig Pallister said he would like to see the proposal studied during the next year.
Board member Derek Yarmer said he supported merit-based raises.
Wilson said based on his experience, his salary would be below his current earnings.
“If I were to leave and you would replace me with someone of similar experience, that would affect recruiting,” he said.
Based on his experience with other 5A superintendents, he said his salary is closer to the bottom of the pay range than the top.
He said he thinks the scale would limit recruiting.
Vajnar said he agreed the scale warrants further consideration, but the board needs more time to review it.
Pallister said, “If we don’t approve the administrators’ [raises], we are showing no support.”
A motion to approve the director and administrator raises at 3.12%, as proposed, failed on a 3-4 vote, with board members Ruth Ruder, Brooks and Pallister voting for the motion.
Vajnar proposed increasing the salaries of all administrators and directors by $3,332 each, instead of a flat percentage increase. That amount was based on a 3.12% across the 23 administrators and directors.
It means lower-paid administrators and directors will receive a higher percentage raise, and higher-paid administrators will receive a lower percentage raise, ranging from 1.8% to 4.35%.
Pallister said he was concerned about how giving less-experienced staff a higher raise would affect the more experienced administrators with greater responsibility.
“Experience and longevity are important. Talk to other districts,” Pallister said.
Ruder said administrative salaries have increased by about 2.4% in recent years, largely due to inflationary pressures.
“The data does not indicate dramatic increases in administrators’ compensation, but rather gradual adjustments to maintain competitiveness and retain leadership personnel,” Ruder said.
“At the same time, support staff positions have received substantially larger percentage increases.”
Goetz said, “I have a real issue with the rich getting richer and the poor struggling more.”
She said inflation has hit lower-income individuals harder than those with higher incomes.
Wilson said, “I’m probably the one who is going to be affected most by this. I am appreciative of any raise. I will tell you that I love my job. I love what I get to do. I love being a part of this district.”
The motion to approve the $3,332 raise for directors and administrators passed on a 4-3 vote, with Brooks, Pallister and Ruder voting against.