Everett teachers for more than two decades have enjoyed some of the biggest paychecks from the state’s education coffers.
If lawmakers approve a budget proposal from Gov. Chris Gregoire, however, that advantage would start to slip.
Gregoire wants to narrow the gap with “grandfathered” school districts such as Everett, which draw more state salary dollars than others because of how much they paid teachers when the rates were first set more than 20 years ago.
Everett draws 6.3 percent more state salary dollars than most other districts in the state. The state salary allocation for a starting teacher this school year is $31,386. Everett draws $33,363, a gap of $1,977.
That gap would drop by $301, to $1,676, under the governor’s proposal.
Neighboring districts say the wide differences in pay have made it hard to compete.
“We have lobbied hard with our legislators for well over a decade to seek some sort of change with the ‘grandfathering’ system. So we’re thrilled,” said David Burgess, superintendent in the Lake Stevens School District.
Marysville and Mukilteo also are among the state’s 34 “grandfathered” districts, drawing 5.2 percent and 2.5 percent extra, respectively, according to the state superintendent’s office.
Edmonds and Darrington draw smaller amounts.
Gregoire’s proposal would narrow the gap by lifting up the lower-funded school districts.
All schools would get the 3.4 percent cost-of-living increase for 2007-08. Most districts would then get an extra boost of 0.6 percent.
In 2008-09, most districts would get another 0.7 percent on top of the 2.6 percent cost-of-living increase.
In Snohomish County, the extra dollars coming to school districts over the two years would total $2.2 million – from $2,300 in Index to $487,000 in Snohomish.
By the end of the second year, the number of “grandfathered” districts statewide would be cut from 34 to 13.
Meanwhile, the gap between the regular state salary allotment and that of Everett would narrow to 5 percent.
Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, called it “a great start” but believes the disparity is still too wide.
He hopes to resurrect a proposal he made last year that would give higher bumps to those closest to higher-paid districts.
“(The governor’s) system sort of raises the water level so that only a few districts, like Everett and Marysville, are still sticking out,” Dunshee said. His proposal would instead be “tapering to the peaks.”
Educators who cheer the governor’s goal also are cautious, saying it doesn’t go far enough and could inadvertently punch holes in their budgets.
Marysville would see “a very minimal amount of new funding” under the proposal since it already is at the higher end of the scale, said Jim Baker, finance director for the district.
For all that, the effort would only narrow the gap, he said. “The majority of districts will still be behind the ‘grandfathered’ districts.”
Even some of the county’s more than 3,800 teachers who would benefit from the pay raise are hesitant.
“Being from Snohomish, ‘grandfathering’ is an issue. Snohomish teachers just have to drive across the trestle and make 6 percent more,” said Kit Raney, president of the Snohomish Education Association.
At the same time, teachers across the state are concerned about statistics that put Washington’s average salaries below those of many other states.
“We should concentrate on that and then take care of ‘grandfathering,’” Raney said.
School administrators note the plan also could end up costing them more local money.
State dollars make up the bulk of teacher salaries, but they don’t cover everything. Districts typically draw from local levies to top off paychecks to stay competitive. Schools also typically hire more teachers than they get state payments for.
In Lake Stevens, the proposed pay bump in 2007-08 could cost an extra $120,000 from the levy, the superintendent said.
“You hate to sound like you’re sniveling over a pay raise. But the impact that it has on local funds is substantial,” Burgess said.
In the Monroe School District, leaders are already grappling with $1.7 million in budget cuts.
“We’re really looking toward some things that aren’t pleasant to do but we have to do them, and this will make it that much tougher,” spokeswoman Rosemary O’Neil said.
Top administrators in the Everett School District were not available for comment.
Spokeswoman Mary Waggoner said staff members still have questions about how the proposal would affect the district’s bottom line and recruiting efforts.
“Without more information and clarity about how this would impact Everett, we really don’t have a comment on it,” she said.
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@ heraldnet.com.
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