Trustees Sheri Mills and Eric Lannen were absent from the meeting. A number of residents and CISD employees attended the July 25 meeting, where trustees voted 5-0 in support of a pay raise for child nutrition workers. Child nutrition workers assist in providing students access to meal and snack options and work to meet the needs of CISD’s diverse student population, according to the CISD Child Nutrition Department’s webpage.
Two pay increase options were presented to the board by Lauren Wurman, executive director of human resources for CISD. The first option was a $1.50-per-hour increase for employees, the presentation stated. The starting rate for child nutrition workers would be $13 an hour. The total cost for the first option was $85,848.
The second option, which the trustees approved, was a $2 hourly increase for employees and a starting hourly rate of $13.50 for child nutrition worker positions. The total cost to the district will be $116,419.
The additional costs will be covered by revenue from increased lunch plate prices, Wurman said. An increase in employee pay was discussed at the July 11 special workshop. Trustees Cameron Bryan, Eric Lannen, Michelle Moore and Andrew Yeager were in favor of a higher lunch plate cost if it covered a compensation increase for nutrition employees. Several CISD employees also spoke during the meeting's public comments section about their personal contributions to the district.
Board President Cameron Bryan said more pay raises will be coming for district employees.
“We hear you, [and] we value you,” Bryan said during the meeting. “This board will go to work.”
