Support staff within schools aren’t the teachers that students see on a day to day basis. In elementary, middle and high schools, the support staff is elementary level gym instructors, librarians or interpreters. They don’t share the spotlight with teachers, but like teachers, support staff help schools function. 

“They are not the teachers in front of the class every day, but we would not be able to function as a school without them…,” Principal Brian Knight said. “(The raise) helps them recognize that we appreciate (the support staff).”

Any support staff member in Perry Township that started working before March of 2019 received a 3.5% raise to their salary at the start of the second quarter. 

Teachers have been speculating the raise is some sort of incentive for people to become support staff employees in Perry Township due to some shortages of staff in these areas. This, however, is not true.

“The raise was a way to make sure we are supporting those staff members as much as possible financially,” Knight said. “Teachers consistently get raises each year, and we wanted to make sure the support staff was a group that was being treated fairly in this process as well. We appreciate their work and an increase in wage is a way to show that.”

Knight sees this raise as beneficial to the staff. He believes the support staff works hard at their jobs and he sees them as the “unsung heroes” at schools. The prominent reaction, from what he has seen, has been positive towards this boost in salary.

The Assistant Principal’s Administrative Assistant Ashley Quinlin has been noticing the positivity around the workplace and was very glad to receive the raise as well.

“It’s always nice when we’re able to get a raise because it’s not always in the budget,” Quinlin said.

Mary Bryan Elementary School secretary Mary Margaret Dickinson is known by her coworkers to be great at her job, and she is very thankful for the raise. According to Dickinson, her other workers are thankful as well.

“I have always felt seen and very appreciated by the township, but raises are a boost to job satisfaction,” Dickinson said.