Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-22
STAN DARD SALARIES
FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS
c Commissioners Adopt Equaliza-
ton Schedule Submitted by
Superintendent Chittenden and
Will Ask for IS Per Cent of
City's Grand List This Year

Through the adoption by the board
of school commissioners of the equali-
cation schedule of teachers salaries, as
prepared by Superintendent NJ. d. Chit
tenden of the Burlington public schools.
the teachers throughout the public
schools will receive standard salaries
from this time on, taking effect from
January 1, 1920. The salaries, which
represent substantial increases In
some cases and some increase In most
cases, will be rs follows Senior high
school, $500 for men and $1,000 for
women; Junior high school, $1,000;
prin cipals of graded school buildings,
81, 050; grade teachers, $3.50 for full
time teachers in most cases.
This new schedule will not ma
terially affect the salaries of the
grade teachers, as the school commits
sioners voted at the meeting of the
board on January to raise all teach
ers. with the exception of few In the
junior high school. 500 over their
present contract, taking effect from
January ]. Since most of the grade
teachers were receiving around $3.50 on
their contract, the 500 raise just about
brings them up to the schedule az sub
mitted by Mr. Chittenden.
! This schedule, which calls for an eX
penditure of approximately s3,100
more than would be required to give
the teachers the 800 raise, was sub
mitted to the school board January o.
but was not adopted at that time, as
the commissioners felt that they should
look into the situation a little more
| thoroughly before taking this step
| for equalizing salaries, which is
something new in the management of
the schools.
| 1t was, therefore, left with the
| teachers committee to Investigate the
situation and report back to the board
at the earliest opportunity The teach
ers' committee met Wednesday night
found that the increasing cost of iiv-
/ ing called for the standardizing of sal
aries on certain basis, if the teach
ers were to receive enough to live
properly, and recommended that the
superintendent equalization schedule
be adopted. The board of commission
ers met later and adopted the report of
the teachers committee.
! This does not mean that the teachers
Will get the full benefit of the raise this
school year, but they will be paid pro
rata, according to their increased salaries
from the first of January to the first of
July and will probably be given the op-
portunity to sign up for another year on
! This schedule also includes the SUPER
visors. who will receive increases in the
vicinity of 800. the same as the teachers
This will make the maximum salary of
SUPERVISORS 81 300 and the minimum sal
airy $500 The average will be about 81 .05o
Salaries in the senior high school in the
past have been from 5000 to sl.1O0 for
full time teachers, SLIGO being the more
common figure. Teachers in the Junior
high school have received salaries rang
ing from $50 to $1,000, the average being
$3.50.
1t is estimated that the school depart
ment will require for its needs in 1920
approximately c. per cent on the grand
list. or $1i267S, which is approximately
$4,000 more than the budget for the de-
partment in 1919. The increase will be
used to eQualize the salaries of teachers.
it has been remarked in the city that
where the city appropriation for schools
has been increased in the past the
teachers have not received the benefit of
the increase, but it has been used for
other things.
Figures show that there is no founda-
ton for this statement. In 1915 the city
appropriation was Sl11,9S2 and the pay
roll of the teachers was Il, 3O1. %. In 1918
the city appropriation for schools was
approximately $4,000 or S14 600 more than
in 1918. while the pay roll of teachers was
$4,000 or nearly $4,000 more than in 1918
In 1920, it is estimated that $142,67S will
be needed for the work of the schools
while the teachers PAY roll WI amount
to 900; both figures being about &c.
600 higher than those of 1919. This shows
that the school commissioners are using
the extra appropriation to help out the
teachers on the high cost of living anc
for thai purpose only.