SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Hourly staff at Springfield Public Schools went another summer without a paycheck.
Last year, the school board changed the pay schedule. Now, the Springfield National Education Association is petitioning for annualized pay to come back.
“I think good intentions just went down the wrong road,” said Ben Brixey, a Special Education Teacher at Westport Elementary.
While the total pay comes out the same, many hourly workers say not having a regular paycheck makes it harder for them to secure loans and apply for housing.
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“We love what we do and we want to keep doing what we do,” said paraprofessional Madison Henry. “So we need that. We need the support in place.”
In July of 2023, all hourly workers at SPS were changed to a different pay schedule where they only got paid while school was in session.
“Switching back to annual pay needs to happen,” Henry said. “We’ve lost several employees. Several of my friends have quit. That’s leaving our classrooms without support. That’s leaving our teachers at a higher rate of burnout because they don’t have a support team.”