By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Barton Community College is prepared to tackle staffing shortages and
any underpaid employees. The Barton Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to give all
regular staff an 8% pay increase and make sure all open positions offer
market value income.
The college reported 65 job openings at last month’s meeting, and some of those
positions have been open for over three years. Board of Trustees member Gary
Burke felt the college needed to act now to solve their staffing woes.
"Our product is going to suffer," said Burke. "Our morale is going to suffer. We're in a position right now financially, we have some reserves. The reason you have reserves is to take care of emergencies. I think we need to make sure we bring our workforce up to the point it needs to be. You're only going to be able to accomplish that by paying some higher wages."
Along with other expenses, the salary bump will force the college to operate
with another negative balance for the 2022-2023 school year, a projected deficit of $1.3 million.
Barton Vice President of Administration Mark Dean said with an increase in
state aid and over $19 million in reserves, the college is in position to fix
an issue that has existed for years.
"We've been fighting this (low wages) for 10, 12, 13 years and unable to get up there," said Dean. "With what has changed with our funding currently and what our cash reserves are...I heard you guys (board) say it last month...we've been saying it for a while. We can fix this now so we don't have to come back and have this same discussion next year."
The pay increases will also make sure each position is being paid market value.
If a position requires more than 8% to reach market value, that amount will be
approved, but every job will receive at least an 8% increase.
Just before the school year started last fall, all regular staff at Barton Community College received a 7% pay increase.