The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education approved a new pay schedule Tuesday for staff that will raise the district’s minimum wage to $20 per hour.
The board unanimously approved the $26 million proposal, which will raise the pay for about 5,000 workers such as custodians, bus monitors, assistants and others. That includes 3,900 who are currently making less than $20 per hour.
It’s the result of a comprehensive compensation study — and it’s the first comprehensive compensation study to be implemented in the district since 2007. Another study was done in the 2018-2019 school year, but was not implemented.
Board members praised the initiative.
“I think this is huge," said board member Monty Witherspoon. "This is not just a political action. This is really justice work that’s going to make a huge difference in people’s lives. It’s a huge step in the right direction.”
Board member Melissa Easley said she believes there’s more work that needs to be done on wages.
"As grateful as we are for this," Easley said, "we know that this is not everything. We wish that we could do more. You deserve more. But we are working towards that."
Administrators have said they envision this as just the first phase of a broader potential pay overhaul for the district over the next several years. This round of changes predominantly affects the district’s lowest-paid workers, so not all employees will receive a pay bump under this phase of the study.
The change will take effect in February, with money available within the current budget, largely through the county’s annual allotments to the district. Administrators have said the pay raises will help the district better recruit and retain workers.
The pay raises don’t apply to certified staff, like teachers, whose base pay is set by the state.
