Upon reviewing and analyzing the 2010-2011 budget for the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District the total personnel salaries equal $28,766,764, which is 81.6% of the district’s total budget. This percentage is comparable to the state personnel salary percentage. The total staff for PNGISD is 627 employees of which 55% or 342 are teachers. As a result of the majority of the school district’s budget being used for salaries it is clear why school superintendents and school board members pay special attention to personnel recommendations. For a school district to significantly impact an effective change in their annual budget personnel salaries must be critically examined. I believe most people would be surprised that the overall percentage of a district’s budget is allocated for personnel salaries. It is also worthy to note that in many communities the school district is the largest employer.
The impact of a 5% salary increase for all personnel has many possible affects for a school district. Beginning with the positive aspects of a raise, several things come to mind. Everyone would like to think they are doing a quality job and are gaining new skills that greatly impact student’s education. A salary increase would have a positive affect on individuals by providing to them additional self worth and appreciation for a job well done. It would certainly increase the appreciation, popularity and support for the team of eight from the employees of the school district. Higher salaries would help to retain and attract the best teachers by keeping the district competitive with neighboring school districts. Another positive impact results from a perception from stakeholders and outside communities that things in the district are progressing favorably when we are facing many difficult decisions ahead with the current financial position our state is in regarding school finance.
Unfortunately there seems to be more possible negative impacts and questions needing resolution when determining if a school district is giving their employees a 5% salary increase. For my school district we have 62% of teachers with eleven or more years of experience and of that half of them have over twenty plus years of experience. For a district with a veteran staff trying to give a 5% raise, it will be significantly more expensive than a district with a less experienced staff. Questions such as will the raise require a tax increase, reduce the fund balance, reduce/remove established educational programs, or create an undesirable affect on the district are some of the questions needing to be answered before the raise is initiated. In most cases the answers are going to have or cause negative reactions regarding the operation of a school district. Another potential negative impact is how are the stakeholders going to react to this type of raise. What is the financial state and climate of the community is another area that must be examined before a raise is implemented. One of the most negative aspects that could result in giving a 5% raise would be the need to reduce the overall budget resulting in the possibility of having to reduce staff, which means people would lose their jobs. This also negatively impacts the entire image of a school district.
The main question regarding an across the board salary increase is how is it going to impact the overall operation of the school district. Is the raise something the district can afford and is it something the community and all stakeholders will support? With the state and each school district facing many financial challenges for the next few years all areas both positive and negative must be thoroughly investigated when determining whether or not a school district can provide a 5% salary increase for all personnel. A raise would be great but is it practical and can the district really afford it?
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