Following a three-month public comment period culminating with Tuesday’s Truth-in-Taxation hearing, the Canyons District Board of Education made official its previously proposed plan to give all CSD teachers a $7,665 salary increase. Representing a double-digit increase for every teacher, this puts the starting annual teacher pay in Canyons District at $50,000. The Board unanimously voted to increase the tax rate by 0.000606 to fund the historic pay bump to licensed personnel.
“We consider every dollar received a sacred trust,” said Board President Nancy Tingey who thanked members of the public for taking time to provide input on the salary proposal in person, by email and during phone conversations. “The community benefits when you have a strong and vibrant public education system. …This will bring returns now and for many years to come.”
The new salary schedule was announced on April 23 when a tentative contract agreement was made with the Canyons Education Association (CEA), which annually negotiates the salary and benefits package for CSD educators. On May 6, the Board officially approved the contract, and the CEA announced that members had ratified it. The negotiated salary increase also was discussed in public when the District on May 30 released its proposed budget for the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year. A public hearing for the proposed budget, which included a tax rate of 0.007507, was held on June 18, giving patrons an opportunity to ask questions and provide input. At tonight’s Truth-in-Taxation meeting, held in the Board Chambers at the Canyons Administration Building-East, 9361 S 300 East, 36 patrons, including teachers, addressed the Board.
“Research has shown that the most significant impact on a student’s education (that you can control) is the teacher,” said CEA President Erika Bradshaw in addressing the Board on Tuesday. “As you know, we are facing a nationwide teacher shortage that is severely impacting Utah. The tax increase will greatly help CSD in offering competitive salary and benefits, encouraging teachers to choose CSD for their employer. We cannot provide the best education to our most vulnerable population, our students, if we do not have the best educators in their classrooms.”
Of the $19.6 million required for this salary increase, $13.750 million will come from funds generated by the property tax increase. The remainder will come from attrition, cost-cutting, and a legislatively approved 4 percent increase in per-pupil spending. All revenue generated through the tax increase will only be used for teachers’ salaries.
This is the first time in Canyons’ 10-year history that the District has sought to recoup inflation through an adjustment in the certified tax rate. The adjustment of the tax rate will result in a $140 per year, or $12 monthly, increase on a $421,000 home, the average price of a home in CSD.
Tuesday’s vote to fund the compensation package signals the end of salary negotiations for the 2019-2020 school year. If the vote had not passed, the District and CEA would have continued negotiations. Licensed personnel will see the pay raise reflected in their first paycheck for the new contract year.