Fort Osage sets teacher salary increases

Teachers in the Fort Osage School District can look forward to a sizable increase in salary next school year.

Board members on Tuesday approved a new salary schedule for teachers that will include a $1,050 (3.04 percent) increase to $35,550 in base salary, a $1,950 (4.99 percent) increase to $40,300 for first-year teachers with a master’s degree and a $2,295 (3.17 percent) increase in top-end pay.

The base pay and top-end salary ranks Fort Osage in the top three in the Kansas City area behind only North Kansas City and possibly Park Hill, which has not yet approved its salary schedule for next year.

According to Fort Osage Spokesperson Stephanie Smith, the increases are related to the February 2004 levee issue in which the community made the retention and attraction of quality teachers a priority item for the district.

“The community felt it was important that we remain competitive in the marketplace and attract quality teachers – and not necessarily just students out of college but teachers from other districts as well,” Smith said. “They also made clear our need to keep the quality teachers we have in the district.”

The Classified Employment Association Salary Committee, headed by Jim Pedersen, spent the past few months finalizing the schedule.

The board also approved long-term disability coverage through Prudential for all district employees working 20 hours or more per week.