District will use bonuses to attract teachers to hard-to-fill positions
The Davis County School Board has agreed to begin giving a $7,500 signing bonus to prospective teachers to come and teach in Davis County. The issue was discussed at the regular council meeting on April 18.
Superintendent Dan Maeder has called for the possibility of offering a bonus to future teachers for hard-to-fill positions. Maeder also told the board that surrounding districts already offer a bonus like this in an effort to attract teachers.
Maeder did not want to make the signing bonus automatic but wanted the board to give him the authority to offer it to potential candidates for hard-to-fill positions.
Maeder reminded the board that the elementary music position has still not been filled with a permanent employee. “Lyle Stirling is retired. He was kind enough to come back and fill that position for us this year,” Maeder said. “We have not been able to fill this position, but we have to do something to find a teacher for this position. Mr. Stirling wants to retire and that is a position we need to fill.
Board members also learned that science and math positions are also hard to fill.
“I like the idea, but I want to make sure the district does more for the people who are already on staff,” said board member Joni Helton. Maeder reminded the board that the district values its employees and agreed that the district should continue to support its current staff.
In addition to the music position, there is a pre-school teaching position and a science position that remain to be filled.
The board discussed the duration of this signing bonus. Maeder told the board that his goal was not to make it an automatic thing, but to use it only when needed if the district has hard-to-fill positions. “I guess what I’m asking the board is to approve a bonus like this for me to use as I see fit,” he said.
The Board took a vote and voted to approve the $7,500 signing bonus. Maeder told the council that the bonus would not be paid all at once, but would be paid over a period of five years, which would incentivize those teachers to stay for a while. He also told the council that if teachers left before the full bonus was paid, they would lose the rest that was not paid.
The board approved the resignations of Josh Husted as college track coach and Brad McCloskey as college principal. The council then approved a contract for David Milder to serve as principal of the college. Milder will receive $94,000 for this position. The district is now looking for another candidate to fill the position of high school vice-principal.
Other contracts approved at the meeting include Jesse Bonner, bus monitor; Zoe Klodt, middle school math; Alicia O’Dell, dealership manager and Judith Polkey, bus supervisor. The board also approved the contract for classified staff, sponsors and coaches for fall and winter sports. The board approved contracts for non-unionized staff.
The board has approved salary increases for non-union staff who are not directors. They will receive a total increase of four percent this year and three percent next year. A recommendation for salary increases for directors will be presented to the Board at a later date.
Maeder said work on the operational sharing agreement with Moulton-Udell has been put on hold for the time being.
Dan Roberts reported to the board that due to changing requirements for the district’s summer food program, they will begin the program by delivering to homes. However, on July 1, the program will have to resume delivering to community locations as it has done in the past. As a result, meal preparation will increase from approximately 1,000 meals per day to 300-400 per day.
The board approved revisions to the schedule that were made after the original was approved earlier this month. Spring Break has been changed and a few other calendar revisions have been made.
The board has agreed to use the services of a college and professional technical advisor who will be in Davis County two days a week with other school districts. The program is a partnership with Indian Hills Community College and will cost the district approximately $15,000 which will be paid per student.
The board has agreed to join a food buying consortium set up through the Great Prairie Area Education Association. The program will help the district reduce food costs.
The board also approved milk offers from Highland Dairy, bread offers from Bimbo Bakeries and approved an offer from Pizza Hut for the 2022-23 school year.
