LEVY: Higher pay warranted

Coeur d’Alene School District employees deserve the support of our community. On March 12, I will be voting yes for the $20 million supplemental levy.

What stands out in this levy request is $2.5 million earmarked for staff wage increases. Frankly, I wish this amount was higher. I know three people who left Idaho public schools to work in Spokane. They didn’t leave because North Idaho is an awful place; they left because of simple economics. The average annual pay for Coeur d’Alene teachers is just under $50K, while the starting wage for a first-year teacher in Spokane Public Schools is $49K. A teacher with a master’s degree and years of experience can earn more than $90K just a short drive to the west. Our schools are already struggling to fill certified positions with qualified people. The jump in pay across the state line is going to make it even harder to keep good teachers here.

Classified staff — bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, aides, food services — are also included in the levy proposal because they are a key component to quality education. The average annual salary for classified staff in the Coeur d’Alene district is $17K. This is certainly well-below a livable wage. I’ve had the privilege of working in an Idaho school district, and I currently work with several Idaho districts. One thing they all have in common: Classified staff are grossly underpaid and shoulder an incredible amount of responsibility for the safety and education of our children.

Please join me in voting yes on March 12.

NANCY NELSON

Hayden