Mountain Home School Board approves plan to increase minimum wage

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The Mountain Home School Board held its regular November session Thursday night and approved a plan to increase the minimum salary the district pays to its classified staff. Voters in Arkansas last week approved Issue 5 which raised the minimum wage in Arkansas from the current $8.50 per hour to $11 per hour by 2021. The board voted to increase the minimum wage for classified staff and substitute teachers to $9.25 effective Jan. 1st, $10 per hour effective Jan. 1st, 2020 and $11 per hour effective Jan. 1st, 2021. Currently, Mountain Home Public Schools pay a minimum wage of $8.65 per hour.

Superintendent Dr. Jake Long updated the board on Governor Asa Hutchinson’s proposal to set aside $60 million to raise the minimum teacher salary from $31,800 to $36,000 over the next few years. Long told the board it will not affect Mountain Home, as its minimum teacher salary is above that level so he doesn’t anticipate getting any funding from the state. Long did inform the board members they will have to begin working on a plan to continue to offer salaries to teachers above the state minimum to stay competitive in attracting the top educators to the district.

The board approved a few budget adjustments to the 2018-19 budget to comply with federal and state agencies.

The board heard enrollment is holding steady with 3,888 students in Mountain Home schools heading into December.

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