Nevada drops in teacher-pay rankings

Thursday, May 27, 2004 | 8:14 a.m.

Nevada ranked 26th in the nation for average teacher salaries in 2003, down two places from the prior year, according to a new report released Wednesday by the National Education Association.

The Silver State's average teacher salary for the 2002-03 academic year was $41,795, about 9 percent below the national average of $45,891. The National Education Association's (NEA) report did caution against using base pay alone when comparing overall compensation.

The NEA's salary survey does not factor in benefits -- monetary or otherwise. Nor do the average salaries show whether there are large gaps between the low and high end of a state's salary scale.

"Vast differences in staff salaries are not apparent in statewide averages, which can hide as much as they reveal," the report states. "Variations in the cost of living may go a long way toward explaining -- and in practice, offsetting -- differences in salary levels from one area of the country to another," the report concludes.

For example, Illiois had the nation's sixth-highest average teacher salary at $51,475, but the data submitted to the NEA survey included extra-duty pay. And New York's fifth-place amount of $53,017 is the median salary rather than the average salary.

The report doesn't show how long it takes to reach a state's average salary, either, said Mary Ella Holloway, president of the Clark County Education Association.

To earn $41,795 in Clark County, teachers typically must have at least nine years' experience and a master's degree, Holloway said. The trick is getting new teachers to come to Nevada for the starting salary of just under $28,000 and then getting them to stay long enough to reach the average pay, Holloway said.

Of the district's 15,200 teachers, half have five years or less experience. Just 14 percent of the district's teachers have been in the profession for six to 15 years, while the remaining 36 percent are veterans with more than 15 years' experience.

Clark County also ranks near the bottom of the state's 17 school districts for overall teacher pay, Holloway said.

"It's a bit misleading to just look at the average pay and assume that every teacher gets anywhere near that amount," Holloway said.

Nevada was originally listed as 14th in the nation for average teacher pay on last year's NEA salary survey. But that ranking was revised down to 24th after the NEA realized it had mistakenly included the Clark County School District's negotiated retirement contributions as base pay.

In addition to teacher salaries, the NEA report looked at overall revenue and expenses for the nation's public schools. For the third consecutive year Nevada finished 45th in overall education spending.

The 2003 Legislature approved increases to the state's per-pupil funding level to $4,199 from $4,077, a figure that's still about $1,500 below the national average.

Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations for the district, said he wasn't surprised to see Nevada retain its spot near the bottom of the national list.

"The Legislature made good progress during the last session, but other states made strides as well," Rulffes said. "We haven't managed to narrow the gap, but we are deeply appreciative that we haven't slipped down even further."