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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 24, 2006 Ashland teachers among best paid in S. Oregon Structure is based on staying competitive, not school district population By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Teachers in the Ashland School District continue to be some of the best-paid in the region, according to figures released by the Oregon School Board Association at the end of January. Teacher pay in Ashland starts at $34,175 for educators with a bachelor’s degree and peaks at $60,775 for the most-educated teachers with master’s degrees. “Yes, we do know our salaries start a little higher, but then when you look at other areas (in the region) our levels are really pretty comparable,” said Heidi Parker, chair of the Ashland School Board. Ashland measures itself against other school districts in the Rogue Valley and not by the enrollment figures the school board association divides its comparison with, according to Ashland Schools superintendent Julie Di Chiro. “And the last time we did the comparison we were slightly higher — not much — than the surrounding districts,” Di Chiro said. The starting pay and benefits package in Ashland is about $1,500 higher than that in the Central Point School District, almost $2,000 above the Medford School District starting pay and is more than $3,000 higher than that for teacher in the Phoenix-Talent School District. “What we try to do is we look at other people in our area, not just the school size,” Parker said. “Now that we’ve moved to a smaller pool due to declining enrollments our salaries are around $1,000 to $2,000 a year higher than others in our pool. However if you compare Ashland salaries to other schools in the Rogue Valley, we’re very similar” In the 2005-06 report, Ashland dropped into the second tier of school districts — those with 1,000 to 2,999 students — for the first time. The report listed the district’s student population at 2,938, making it the largest district in its category. The only other Rogue Valley school district in the area is Phoenix-Talent. Ashland’s better starting pay relates directly a consorted effort to bring quality teachers to the district, according to Parker. It also helps educators combat the high cost of living in the area. More than three-quarters of Ashland teachers live in the city, according to Di Chiro. “It’s pretty high right now,” Di Chiro said. However, she noted that the majority of Ashland educators have been with the district for many years and likely purchased a home in town before real estate prices skyrocketed. Many of those teachers will retire within a few years and the district is now working to attract — and keep — educators. “Once teachers are here, they stay and that’s a good thing,” Parker said. The 2005-06 starting pay is $82 higher than the figure was a year ago, reflecting the annual 2 percent cost-of-living increase teachers receive. Educators also move up salary each year. “They go up another position on the salary schedule because of their experience,” Di Chiro said. The Ashland Education Association, the teachers’ union, and school district officials will begin negotiations on a new contract in early 2007, according to Di Chiro. Medford teachers are also slated to negotiate a new contract next year. “Everybody else will do an increase a well so we have to make sure we keep pace,” Di Chiro said. Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 225 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams