Keystone Central committee delays pay decisions pending March staffing study

The Keystone Central School District public personnel committee wrestled on Jan. 27 with how to address understaffed custodial and mechanical maintenance teams and whether raises would attract applicants.

District staff told the committee the custodial roster currently lists 37 custodians, with two open positions and three anticipated retirements; mechanical maintenance showed eight positions with one vacancy. Doctor Redmond said he expects the district’s staffing study to be ready for the full board in March, and urged the committee to wait for that analysis before making pay or staffing commitments.

Board members described a local labor market that routinely pays higher hourly wages, citing examples such as large manufacturers in the area. One member estimated that a $4‑an‑hour raise would align district pay with neighboring districts but warned that giving raises without first completing the staffing study could create budget strain if later reductions are recommended.

Doctor Redmond also noted potential one‑time budget offsets, saying, "$42,000 is about 5 hundredths of a percent of our overall budget," and suggested surplus sales and other adjustments could help cover modest increases. The committee asked Justin to compile apples‑to‑apples comparisons of health‑insurance packages and other benefits for neighboring districts so total compensation — not salary alone — can be compared.

The committee agreed to delay any final decisions on raises or new hires until the March staffing study and until staff provide benefit comparisons and detail on retirements and vacancies. The staffing study and the benefits comparison will be presented to the board for further action.