COLUMBIA — A new salary increase approved by the Columbia School Board will put the starting pay for teachers above $40,000 for the first time ever.
“For teachers, that is good news,” said Noelle Gilzow, the president of the Columbia Missouri National Education Association.
The salary increase will apply across the board to all district employee groups.
“I know it’s been hard, not just this year, but the last couple of years with a lot of openings in those type positions,” said Heather McArthur, the district’s chief finance officer.
McArthur and Gilzow hope the pay increase put them in a position to compete with their comparison districts, such as in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Brent Ghan, the deputy director of the Missouri School Boards’ Association, said Columbia is in a unique position because of its local funding. Smaller districts are more reliant on state funding, which is not a lot.
“I think you’re going to see some local districts, Columbia included, make every effort to increase teacher salaries,” Ghan said. “It varies a lot across the state and that’s why we need the state to play a role in increasing the minimum teacher salary.”
The new collective bargaining agreement with salary increases extends through part of 2024.
