The Dublin City School District Board of Education approved raises for many school employees for the 2027-2028 academic year and extended two of the district's union contracts at its Sept. 14 meeting.
The board voted 3-0 to approve two memorandums of agreement with the district's teachers union, the Dublin Educators' Association, and its support staff union, the Dublin Support Association (DSA), that will provide employees with a 2.25% base pay increase next year. The pay increase for DEA employees starts Aug. 1, 2027, and July 1, 2027, for DSA workers.
The board also approved a 2.25% base salary increase for the district's technical employees, administrators and hourly, non-union employees for the 2027-2028 school year. The board voted on all
of these pay increases, including the memorandums, as a block.
The 2.25% increase is less than the district's 2025 and 2026 annual pay increase of 3%. Donna O'Connor, president of the Dublin Educators' Association, said the smaller raise amount was decided for her union with the district's five-year forecast and future funding in mind.
"I think this was the best, safest option to present to, [the teachers union's] over 1,400 members," O'Connor said.
Dublin City Schools Superintendent Jennifer Schwanke thanked the district's union leaders during the Sept. 14 meeting for looking carefully at the district's financial realities and communicating them to their members.
"This MOA is based on member votes and with it our focus can be moving forward together toward the future. It also helps us set the stage for critical collaboration in the future," Schwanke said.
Dublin City Schools' current five-year forecast predicts its cash reserves will run out in fiscal year 2030 after years of the district's revenues exceeding its expenses.
The memorandums approved Sept. 14 also extend the district's contract with the Dublin Educators' Association to July 31, 2028, and its contract with the Dublin Support Association to June 30, 2028. This is the second time the board has extended these contracts.
Starting with the 2027-2028 school year, the starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor's degree and zero years of experience will be $56,492. From there, their salary will increase for each year they're with the district, maxing out at $100,565 at 18 years with the district. Once the teacher hits 25 years of experience, they begin receiving a yearly salary stipend from the district.
Teachers with master's degrees or teachers who teach 150 semester hours are on a different, higher salary scale than teachers with bachelor's degrees.
Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, @NathanRHart on X and nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dublin City School District school board approves employee raises
