Sustain Growing Student Success:

Investing in People: The Backbone of BV Schools

Our staff and teachers are the heart of BV Schools and the foundation of our success. Over the past five years, our students have achieved steady academic progress and important milestones across multiple areas. Now, we’re focused on building on that momentum.

Recruitment and retention remain strong, especially compared to the significant staffing challenges faced by many districts across the state. But rising housing costs and overall cost of living in our community are making it harder for salaries to keep pace, putting pressure on our ability to retain top talent and prepare for future staffing transitions as veteran educators approach retirement.

In 2022, the Board of Education took proactive steps to address this challenge by shifting additional funding toward staff pay. Today, over 83% of the district’s operating budget is dedicated to salaries. These efforts have resulted in meaningful pay increases and continued access to medical benefits. Still, our average teacher salary remains below the state average.

To stay competitive and plan for the future, the Board has set a clear compensation goal:

  • Increase starting teacher salaries to $50,000 by 2027 (up from the current $42,000)

  • Provide raises for support staff, including custodians, food service workers, and bus drivers

A Sustainable Path Forward

The proposed DFSA mill levy would create a dedicated, ongoing revenue stream—$975,000 annually—to support these cost-of-living adjustments. This local investment is key to keeping our schools strong, stable, and staffed with the high-quality professionals our students deserve.

BV Schools students have shown steady progress on state and local test scores, attendance rates exceed state averages even post pandemic, and graduation rates remain: