Del Mar school district approves salary increases for after-school program employees

To remain competitive and to be able to attract and retain quality employees, the Del Mar Union School District board approved increasing the salaries for several positions of its after school program.

At its July 22 meeting, the board revised the salaries for positions of after school programs worker, early childhood site team leader, early childhood preschool teacher and early childhood instructional assistant.

Jason Romero, assistant superintendent of human resources, said the changes were a way to keep really high quality staff from leaving for positions that pay more and offer benefits. The changes represent $88,000 for all four categories and are not an impact to the general fund—it all comes out of the enterprise fund, revenues from the after school and child care program.

There are current 70 after school program workers with a typically high turnover rate. They work 15 to 25 hours depending on the need and schedule and will see an increase of up to $2.11 an hour depending on the employee’s position on the step scale. They workers will be compensated on a range of $14 to $16.73 an hour.

There is only one early childhood site team leader that the district will make benefit eligible. Seven are in the early childhood pre-school teacher category—a lot are 38-hour employees considered part time workers without benefits who will be bumped up to 40-hours, according to Cathy Birks, assistant superintendent of business services. Birks said the added hours will not only make them benefit-eligible but will enhance the pre-k program and provide a little more time for teacher planning. They will receive payment of a range of $15.60 to $21.96 an hour.

Fifteen employees are currently in the early childhood instructional assistant category and will see increases of up to $2.55 an hour depending on the employee’s step, up to $19.41 an hour.

At the July 22 meeting, the board also approved a new position in the human resources department: a human resources assistant for benefits. Romero said the new position is necessary to handle the increased responsibilities of the payroll and benefits department.

The position is in the budget 2015-16 school year.