FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Fayetteville teachers and staff members will soon receive a pay increase.
The school board unanimously voted to approve the salary increases for both certified and classified staff members for the 2022-23 school year.
Alan Wilbourn with Fayetteville Public Schools says the new salary schedule for certified staff starts at $50,000 per year.
“We’re very proud of that. It’s very competitive market here in Northwest Arkansas among the big four school districts and so we need to be competitive in order to attract the best teachers to Fayetteville,” he said.
Certified staff, who is someone licensed to teach in the state of Arkansas, who has 18 years of experience will get a 5% increase in their salary. Classified staff, meaning anyone who is not a teacher, but works inside the school district including bus drivers, food service workers and mechanics, is getting a $1.50 hourly increase.
He says this is the first salary schedule increase in a few years, but it is something the school board always looks at very closely.
“The economy here in Northwest Arkansas is very strong. We have very steady growth here in Fayetteville. It’s averaging from 1% to 2% each year for decades now. It’s very manageable, very predictable, so we know what’s coming, that we know there will be an increase in students,” he said.
Staff members who are employed by Fayetteville Public Schools as of July 1, 2022, will receive the increases along with the step increase (if available).
This is Rebecca Wilbern’s 27th year teaching at Vandergriff Elementary School.
“I think this pay increase will definitely help recruit some new teachers to help replace retiring teachers but I think it will also let some teachers be able to stay in the district and work a few more years because they feel more valued and appreciated before by our school board and our administration,” she said.
She says a school district is more than a classroom teacher, it’s bus drivers, secretaries, custodians and lunch room staff.
“The classroom teacher can’t do it all. It takes a whole village and for the school board to notice and recognize that and honor those people and make them feel valued. It will make our whole school district a better place to be,” she said.
You can find additional details about teacher and staff compensation at Fayetteville Public Schools by following this link.
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