LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — According to the Missouri State Teachers Association, there is a cost to being a teacher.
“If we don’t have teachers, we don’t have schools,” said Todd Fuller, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Teachers Association.
According to Fuller, for many teachers across Missouri, the pay isn’t adding up to the job description.
“There are a large number of teachers leaving the profession — they are not necessarily leaving the profession to go to other school districts,” Fuller said. “They are leaving the profession for good.”
According to the Missouri State Teachers Association, the average pay is $32,000 for a teacher with a bachelor's degree in Missouri.
Fuller says many districts in Missouri are paying a bit more in average salaries, including the Lee’s Summit School District, who is paying teachers a minimum of $40,000 with a bachelor's degree.
The Lee's Summit School District is working to increase pay for teachers, but they need help from voters.
On Tuesday, April 4, the district will ask voters to approve an increase in the district's operating tax levy by 20 cents.
The operating tax levy supplies money for teacher and staff salaries, along with supplies and equipment.
By increasing the operating tax levy, the district says they will need to decrease the debt service tax levy by 20 cents.
The debt service tax levy pays interest and principal payment for general bonds issued for projects approved by voters.
This would not cause a tax increase to the overall tax rate, which sits at 5.31 per $100 dollars of assessed valuation.
On top of the no tax increase, this would also redirect $5.4 million to the general operating fund on an annual basis.
“That allows them the opportunity to become more competitive with districts around them,” Fuller said.
If approved by voters, redirecting the funds would allow Lee’s Summit to recruit and retain staff at a time when teacher's pay is low, and cost of living is high.
“We can’t ask teachers to take care of kids and to try to help kids without compensating them and making sure that we recognize the value of what they do everyday,” Fuller said.
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