OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Omaha Public Schools teachers will receive a smaller salary increase this school year as the district works to address a $50 million budget shortfall.
Teachers, who typically receive a 3% wage increase, will instead see a 1.5% raise this year. The reduction is written into the union contract and applies only to the current school year.
Raise reduction aimed at avoiding layoffs, teacher departures
OPS Chief Financial Officer Shane Rhian said the district considered both a wage freeze and a standard increase before settling on the middle ground.
“We knew that if we did a wage freeze, we would likely have to see a number of teachers leave our school district and go teach somewhere else,” Rhian said. “We also know that if we have a more normal three, three and a half percent increase to our teachers, we will have to lay some of the teachers off.”…