Placentia-Yorba Linda teacher pay hits historic point as veterans earn $100,000-plus salary

An historic teacher pay point has been reached in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District with unanimous approval of a 5.5 percent salary increase beginning with the 2015-16 school year by the district's five elected trustees.

For the first time, regular pay for 30-year teachers passes the $100,000 mark – $102,773 to be exact. Pay for a beginning teacher with a full California credential, normally earned in five years, reaches a new high of $49,649 for 185 service days that include 180 instructional days.

And the possibility exists for an added 0.5 percent hike, depending on specific aspects of final state budget support for K-12 education, for a total 6 percent boost. The increase applies to all employees, 1,088 teachers, 664 classified staff and 170 managers (full-time equivalents).

Of course, a few teachers already have earned more than $100,000, when various extra duty assignments, such as coaching athletic or academic teams, serving as department chairs or lead teachers, participating on committees or other work has been added to their regular pay.

But now, the salary schedule, with 17 steps for service years and five columns for education levels, passes the $100,000 mark for 30-year teachers with a bachelor's degree plus 60 units, including a master's degree, or a master's degree plus 15 units or a bachelor's degree plus 75 units approved by a district committee.

First-year teachers with full California credentials usually join the salary schedule at the third column and can move to the fourth with a master's degree or 45 units past a bachelor's degree and then to the fifth after reaching one of the education levels described above.

Also, teachers advance on the salary schedule each year up to 13 years with additional steps at years 17, 21, 25 and 30. Step advancements bring from $2,300 to $2,800 more pay and column changes bring from $2,500 to $5,800 more pay, exclusive of other negotiated hikes.

Teachers with an earned doctorate from an accredited institution are paid an extra $1,500 per year, and teachers who volunteer to teach an extra period during the school day boost their regular salary by one-sixth at high schools and one-seventh at middle schools.

The 5.5 percent increase brings classified salaries up to a range starting at $12.51 per hour for a first-year child care aide to a high of $42.99 per hour for a senior program analyst or computer systems trainer with five years or more experience.

Principal salaries increase to $121,080 at elementary schools, $123,553 at middle schools and $141,330 at high schools for administrators with five years or more experience.

The contracts negotiated with the employee unions are for two years, but salary sections are expected to be negotiated again for the 2016-17 school year.

Salaries and benefits account for 83 percent of $240 million expenses for the district with 25,000 students at 34 campuses.