Base salary for Holton teachers increases 4 percent

The new base salary for a beginning teacher in Holton USD 336 was increased $1,750 by a motion of the school board here Monday evening. The motion, approved on a 6-0 vote, increased the base salary from $43,500 to $45,250, representing a 4.02 percent increase. 

According to the ratified agreement reached with teachers, it was reported, the incremental “steps’’ for years of service and continuing education will stay at $720 per step.

Also, according to the ratified agreement, it was agreed to start classes each day five minutes earlier than last year and to end classes each day five minutes later than last year, resulting in a total of four less school days at the end of the school term. HES will start at 8:05 a.m. each day this year and end at 3:15 p.m. while HMS and HHS will start at each day at 7:55 a.m. and end at 3:05 p.m.

A motion was approved 6-0 to make the necessary school calendar adjustment (subtracting one day from the beginning of the second semester that will extend winter break and subtracting three days from the end of the school year).

On a separate motion approved 6-0, the board agreed to give all school administrators (excluding those new to the district this year) and HSEC director 4.022 percent salary increases, to set the HSEC coordinator’s new salary at $75,000 and to give all school classified staff 50-cent per hour pay raises. 

In other business, the school board learned from Superintendent Trevor Ashcraft that the budget hearing for the school district’s proposed new 2024-25 budget will be held Sept. 9 and that the district will be exceeding the revenue neutral rate. Ashcraft said the district’s mill levy for supplemental general is expected to be up from 14.653 mills to 17.190 mills and its mill levy for capital outlay is expected to be up from 7.948 mills to 8 mills. Total mill levy for the district is expected to be 37.30 mills, up from 34.428 mills. The district’s bond and issue mill levy is expected to decrease from 13.933 mills to 12.110 mills. The district will expect to collect about $2,602,979 in local taxes, up $212,081 from 2023-24’s total tax collected of $2,390,898.

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