It is common for teachers to get their contracts at the beginning of the year for them to see how much they’ll end up making in the year. This 2019/2020  school year, teachers at McPherson USD 418 were not given their contracts because the school board was not sure if they’d have the budget for it, although teachers have been able to look at the budget and said there is enough. 

Negotiations over what teachers should be paid have been going on throughout the year. USD 418 school board offered a contract three months ago but the teachers rejected it. According to an article in the McPherson News-Ledger, “The offer, which would have increased base salary by $963, was rejected by 54% of teachers.”

Since teachers aren’t getting a higher pay there is a possibility they may want to work somewhere else. Naomy Aguilar, junior said “I’d be upset because they’re the only cool teachers.” when asked how she’d feel if her favorite teachers left. 

The pay that teachers are getting impacts what they can buy for their classrooms. The quality of the classroom or supplies then in turn impacts the students and how they learn. Heidi Law, a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary said “It [budget] is separated into different funding sources for each are examples: curriculum/ food experience/ supplies. Only so much per area and after that is gone it is out of your pocket. That’s Early Childhood, General Ed. may be different.”