Jersey City Board Of Education Approves Raises For Non-teacher Staff Members

[Gavin CantrellGuest]

At its meeting on Thursday night, the Jersey City Board of Education authorized increases for a wide spectrum of employees.

The change will help secretaries, teaching assistants, paraprofessionals, and members of the Non-Certified Administrators and Supervisors Association.

Secretaries and paraprofessionals will receive a 2% raise retroactive to July 1, 2021; teacher assistants will receive a $500 raise retroactive to July 1, and non-certified administrators and supervisors will receive a 1.25 percent raise retroactive to July 1 and a 1.75 percent raise effective July 1, 2022. The board also authorized a $17 per hour minimum wage for workers of Local 226 as a last-minute addition to the agenda.

In December, the Jersey City Board of Education increased the beginning salary for incoming teachers in the district and granted incumbent teachers a raise. According to Board President Mussab Ali, increases were granted to address a teacher shortage, but the action spurred other employees to request rises as well.

Outgoing Superintendent Franklin Walker also addressed the board's November decision to terminate a contract with mental health counseling service Reimagined Mind. Since then, online pressure has built for a public explanation of why the contract was terminated without a replacement in place