SNEA Support for April 2 Levy/Bond

Springfield NEA is eager to offer whatever support we can to help pass the school Bond/Levy that will go to Springfield voters on April 2, 2013. In that effort, we enthusiastially support the QS4K Campaign (Quality School for Kids).

What About Compensation?

Several members have expressed their concern that teacher salaries were not at the forefront of the campaign in recent district emails and news pieces. I'd like to remind everybody that salaries are no longer unilaterally set by the school board and are now determined through a negotiations process between Springfield NEA and the district. So, the district cannot actually speak specifically about proposed raises. SNEA bargaining teams of teachers, school nurses and clerical employees will be taking a hard look at district budget/revenues and will be proposing the best possible compensation packages. However, one thing is certain: without the passage of a levy in our growing district, any increases in compenstaion will remain minumal for some years to come, barring a unexpected boom in the economy.

Levy, Compensation and Election Realities

Springfield is currently the largest accredited school district in Missouri. Of the 22 largest school districts in Missouri, Springfield ranks 21st in teacher salaries - only St. Joseph is lower. An even more glaring discrepancy shows Springfield ranking 364th in size of tax levy. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the correlation.

The fact that the average voter in school bond/levy elections is aged 65 may also shed a little light on why it's not a "slam dunk" when the districts asks voters for a levy increase - and perhaps why touting higher salaries doesn't exactly resonate in our low-wage town. Many of these older voters live on a fixed income and do not have kids in school. That's a major reason why it is especially important - for this bond/levy election - that teachers and parents show up in significant numbers on April 2.

Will You Step Up?

SNEA is asking for school representatives in each building to help spread the word among staff and their school community about the importance of this levy/bond election. The future of our schools - class sizes, compensation, technological advancements, facilities - depends on the success of this campaign.

Will you help spread the word? Please contact the SNEA office at snea@aol.com or 869-5090 to find out how you can help. Our teachers and staff work very hard to serve the students of our community,
and these elections don't come around that often. We can help you with material and message in supporting this very worthy campaign. Check out Quality School for Kids for more information.