Knox County Schools began rolling out notifications to teachers and staff on their new salaries, and many were left confused over the amount indicated in their email.

“We expected that we would have some errors to correct and some clarification around the process,” Jennifer Hemmelgarn, Knox County Schools’ assistant superintendent of business and talent, said at a June 3 news conference.

“There likely are errors to correct,” she told the Knox County Board of Education that night.

Administrators pledged that no employee would make less than they currently do when the new salary schedule rolled out, and that stands true, she said. Some employees, however, will see smaller increases than others because the new pay is meant to bring up those who were paid below the market rate.

“No one’s salary is going down. Everyone will see an increase. Some may see a lesser increase than others because it’s not a percentage increase across the board, but nobody’s salary will go down,” Hemmelgarn said.

The average increase for custodians, nutrition workers and security officers is 8%. Teachers will get a 10% raise, and principals and assistant principals will get a 3% raise.

After staffers took to social media to voice their concerns, the district created an online form and a separate email address, salary@knoxschools.org, for clarifications.

Have all employees been notified?

The notifications to employees started rolling out May 31 and will continue until June 7. Between 100-200 employees whose positions are paid with federal funds will be notified by June 14, Hemmelgarn said.

How does the transition to the new pay scale work?

Teachers transition to the new pay scale using their current step plus one, Hemmelgarn said.

For other employees, the district is looking at their number of years in the current position or current salary, whichever is greater, to determine the new pay scale. It’s more individual and situation-specific, she said.

Going forward, step scale will be closely aligned with years of experience, Hemmelgarn said.

“It is years of experience in your current position,” she said.

Does the salary step equal years of experience?

Yes and no. For employees who have only worked in one role, a step is the same as the numbers of years they’ve been with the district. For employees who have switched roles within the district, their step would reflect their years of service in the current position.

With a pay scale ceiling, what’s the incentive for employee retention?

For teachers, there are built-in retention incentives at five, 10, 15 and 20 years, Hemmelgarn said. The new pay scale will help improve increases for other positions, especially administrative ones that topped out at step 14, she said.

Is there an appeal process for someone dissatisfied with their new salary?

The majority of the submissions on the online form so far have been from employees seeking clarifications around the process and a reconsideration of step placement, Hemmelgarn said.

“We encourage anyone with any questions to submit to that Google form,” she said. “Ultimately, though, our third party (Evergreen Solutions LLC) is the company that told us where market value is for each of the positions. So that is what we will go by in this transition. But, yes, if there is an employee that thinks errors have been made or just need clarification around the process then that’s what that Google form is for.”

The district has received over 700 responses in just three days, she added. The feedback has come more from nonteaching staff, she added.

Could the budgeted amount change?

The district does not anticipate the total budgeted impact to change, Hemmelgarn said.

How will the district calculate salary step for new employees moving forward?

For teachers, outside teaching experience will be taken into account. For nonteachers, the answer isn’t straightforward and would depend if the experience is in a relevant field or not.

How did we get here?

The new salary schedule was marketed by district officials as “a strategic investment in people.” The $39 million plan is expected to ensure all district employees are paid on par with their peers in other counties. A recent study, commissioned by the district, showed Knox County Schools employees make nearly 9% less than the market minimum.

The new schedule would move the district closer to meeting a state law passed last year that requires Tennessee teachers to be paid at least $50,000 a year by the 2026-27 school year.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on X @AreenaArora and on Instagram @areena_news

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County Schools salary changes bring a flood of questions