Jeffco teachers’ base salary to top out at $81,000

GOLDEN — Jefferson County’s best-paid teachers will earn a base salary of about $81,000 this year as part of the suburban district’s new teacher compensation model.

And those teachers already at the top of the salary range that would be eligible for additional compensation based on evaluations will earn a one-time stipend.

The issue over where to stop annually increasing a teacher’s base salary and begin issuing one-time bonuses has been one of the lingering questions over the new compensation model, which was introduced just weeks ago. And there are still more questions to answer, Jeffco staff told the board tonight, including how the board would like to pay veteran teachers that may join Jeffco in the future.

Teachers should see there raises by their November paycheck, district officials said. Jeffco staff must still resolve any evaluation disputes, align payroll systems, and determine retroactive pay.

In a separate action, the board’s also voted 4-1 to approve a laundry list of unresolved issue from negotiations. Board member Lesley Dahlkemper voted no.

The board’s discussion  on the compensation model tonight is the latest in a months-long process. Negotiations between the board and union began in public early this year. By April, the union declared an impasse. A resolution was near at hand as summer approached. But the board’s majority rejected a ratified tentative agreement. Ultimately, Witt proposed his own model, the current framework, in August.