Paraprofessionals, food service workers and noon-hour aides are among the employees receiving new contracts with the Detroit school district.
Detroit Public Schools Community District approved tentative two-year contracts with the Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals, the Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees and the Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors during a board meeting Tuesday. DFP and OSAS reached agreements with the district last month, with the DAEOE finalizing its contract last week.
Paraprofessionals, which also includes school culture facilitators, are receiving a 4% raise the current school year and a 3% raise for the 2025-26 school year. Step 1 general education paraprofessionals will go from $16.07 an hour to $16.71, while step 2 general education paraprofessionals will see an increase from $16.66 to $17.33. In 2025, both groups will see a raise of $17.21 and $17.85, respectively.
Wages for early childhood and Montessori paraeducators will rise from $16.66 to $17.33 and then to $17.85 next school year. Meanwhile, school culture facilitators will see an increase from $18.01 to $18.73. In 2025, their wages will rise to $19.29 an hour.
In addition, paraprofessionals who provide language interpretation will receive $50 per month, while educators certified in more than one district-designated foreign language will be compensated $75 per month.
Food service workers, which are some of the hardest positions to fill, will see a pay bump from $17.55 to $18.25 an hour. Next school year, that wage will rise to $18.80. The rates for general noon-hour aides is increasing from $13.52 to $14.06, while aides working in early education will go from $15.60 to $16.22. For the 2025-26 school year, those numbers increase to $14.48 and $16.72 an hour. Food service workers and noon aides are also represented under the Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals.
They federation did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees will receive a wage increase of 4% retroactive to July 1 for the 2025 fiscal year and a 3% raise next year. The Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors have a similar contract, with employees receiving a 4% increase in the first year of the agreement and a 3.5% increase in the second year.
A December retention bonus is also part of the contract for the DFP and the DAEOE. Staff members who were employed by the district by Feb. 1 and remained actively employed through Nov. 1 will receive a $2,000 bonus. The incentive will also apply to staff who are employed by Feb. 1, 2025.
When it comes to benefits, the district will maintain or increase its total overall health care cost contribution percentage as needed up to the 80% threshold for all three unions. For the current school year and next school year, DPSCD will keep its current health insurance providers and carriers, including dental and vision, as long as their overall costs to the district remain competitive and provide employees the greatest value.
Board delays vote on public comment policy change–for now
School board members decided to delay voting on a proposed policy change regarding public participation at board and committee meetings until next month’s meeting. The policy would eliminate people’s ability to make public comments when they’re attending board meetings virtually, as well as require those who want to speak in person to provide more information than is currently necessary and would allot more speaking time to speakers who need a translator or have a disability.
The proposed changes came before the board for a first reading at October’s regular school board meeting.
Misha Stallworth West, who chairs the board’s policy committee, previously told Chalbeat that in addition to ensuring that current practices are put in writing, the proposed policy “helps to ensure there’s not confusion between the board and the public around what’s happening and how it happens.”
However, Stallworth West suggested that the board table the proposal until December’s meeting to give the community more time to learn about the policy.
“Through the chair to the superintendent, we’ll be looking for support from staff on community education efforts and platforms related to this,” she said.
Concerns about the policy were brought up during the public comment period from former school board candidate Aliya Moore. She called the proposal “embarrassing” and accused the board of being fearful of the public.
“How can we be at a second read to try to block, restrict, restrain, refrain the public that got you all in these positions and we didn’t have a policy meeting in September or October,” Moore said. “Weren’t we supposed to have at least one meeting discussing this in a committee meeting before it goes to a second read? Let’s be for real, board.”
Fellow school board candidates Nicole Conaway and Tabrian Joe also spoke, saying the proposed policy is part of the district’s issues with maintaining a positive climate and culture and that Detroiters’ voices deserve to be heard.
“We have leadership that does not respect the people of the community and they rush through these meetings and have closed sessions to try to push people away,” Conaway said. “That’s the problem with the climate and culture, and money is not going to fix that. We need new leadership for that.”
Meanwhile, Joe said the board needs to be accountable to the community and that it should be tabled until the new school board members, Monique Bryant and Ida Simmons Short, start their terms.
“The board is accountable to the people that come here every day, speak out and advocate for the students of Detroit,” Joe said. “Detroit deserves a board that is accountable to the people and the only way people can hold them accountable is through public comment.”