The Wright City R-II School District has closed the gap on its neighbors when it comes to competitive salaries for employees.The R-II board met Friday, June 22, to discuss the 2017-18 budget and approved a $3,000 increase to the base salary for teachers. This was an 8.5 percent raise and brings starting pay for first-year educators to $38,000.“When we have done exit surveys with teachers leaving the district, one of the main concerns we’ve gotten, especially from millennials, is that they’re worried about how much money they’ll make over the course of their career,” said Superintendent Dr. David Buck.This increase moves Wright City above the starting pay for Troy, Warrenton and Washington districts. However, it still trails Francis Howell and Parkway — the two districts to which R-II loses the most teachers.“It’s very hard to compete with those larger districts, but we are making ground and determined to keep our quality educators in the district,” said Buck. “Our goal was to catch Wentzville and Troy.”He says the numbers tell the story of the turnover, with 73 percent of teachers at the high school having been in the district for seven or fewer years.R-II also increased base pay for all other employees, such an custodial, by 8.75 percent.Existing educators in the district received an increase on the step scale, but Buck says it’s not as much as the board would have liked to have awarded.Teachers in steps 1-24 received a $575 increase, while those between 25-31 got a $1,000 pay bump. Additional raises were awarded for those with higher degrees and certifications.With the district failing to pass the tax levy increase during the November 2016 election, flexibility is limited.“That’s the next piece, but we can’t do that without an increase in our tax levy, which is by far the lowest in the entire region,” said Buck.SALARIES