RV B.O.E. OKs raises

Teachers, classified staff and administrators in the Royal Valley school district will receive a 1.75 percent salary increase for the 2026-27 school year as part of a new salary agreement approved during the Royal Valley Board of Education meeting on June 24.

As part of the new contract, the district will also increase its monthly contribution for health insurance for employees from $540 to $600 per month to help absorb a 23 percent rate increase from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. 

The new base salary for teachers will increase from $50,000 to $50,450. 

The new negotiated agreement allows for step movement on the teacher salary schedule, which is an additional $750 per “step” based on the new base salary. Because teachers advance one step for each additional year of service, current teachers will receive a total increase of $1,200 each, it was reported.

Teachers can also advance a “step” if they’ve earned additional educational degrees, such as a master’s degree.

Board members Ann Kelly (board vice president), Ruth Slocum and Kelli Lambrecht served on the salary negotiations team, which also included teachers Megan Porter, Jolene Dressman and Tracey Koch. 

“I thought it went really well,” Kelly said of negotiations. “I feel we had a good negotiations team on both sides, and everybody realized that we all want the same thing. I think the teachers feel like they have a really good package. Even when we were debating some of the details back and forth, they know we offer things that other districts don’t, and they’re very appreciative of what we do offer.”

To read the rest of the article, please subscribe to The Holton Recorder.