Santa Fe Public Faculties desires Legislature to spice up instructor pay | Schooling
The Santa Fe Schools Board is considering urging state lawmakers to “dramatically increase” teacher salaries, citing high teacher and staffing positions and rising housing costs in Santa Fe.
A “staff crisis” resolution tabled by CEO Kate Noble during a board meeting on Thursday, if approved, would be submitted to the legislature ahead of the regular January session.
It would empower a task force to deal with “short, medium and long term affordable housing for SFPS employees”. The board is expected to vote on the resolution in its next meeting.
“Elsewhere in the state there seems to be a growing momentum to really elevate the level of this crisis,” said Noble. “Especially in the run-up to our legislative period, when education financing and educator salaries will be a really important part of the discussion.”
District 1 councilor Signe Lindell has drafted a similar resolution for city leaders to vote on, Noble said. It is co-sponsored by councilors Roman “Tiger” Abeyta and Jamie Cassutt.
If passed, the resolution would also direct Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez to investigate childcare options for school staff and volunteers. Funding would also be allocated to staff and systems upgrade for the district’s human resources department.
After the board read the resolution, the newly appointed District 5 board member Sascha Anderson called for more focus on indigenous teacher recruitment.
The resolution was not the only mention of personnel issues during Thursday’s session.
The board voted to approve nearly $ 3,000 in “per capita” funding for two families who are now driving their children with special educational needs to the district schools because the district is unable to provide a vacant driver position for theirs usual bus line to be occupied.
The funds will cover mileage fees incurred by parents until a driver is hired, Chavez said. The vice president of the board, Rudy Garcia, and Anderson questioned whether the approval would raise sufficient funds for the parents.
“I worry that this is probably not enough compensation for a parent who has to bring their disabled child to and from school,” said Anderson. “This is another side effect of this staff shortage.”
