Competing with Rutherford County in teacher salaries may not be possible
When a longtime local teacher such as Anita Lance decides it’s time to pack her bags and head to a Rutherford County classroom because of pay issues, there’s cause for concern.
When a teacher such as Lance goes on to win one of the school system’s Teacher of the Year honors – during her inaugural year in Rutherford County – there’s reason to think about what we let slip away. Warren County doesn’t want to put itself in a position where our top-notch educators can make so much more money elsewhere there’s no reason to stay here.
At the same time, there’s no reason to overreact to one teacher leaving the system and finding greener paychecks elsewhere. Warren County’s starting pay of $27,814 for a teacher fresh out of college with a bachelor’s degree is respectable. So is the starting pay of $30,005 for a teaching with a master’s degree and no classroom experience.
Granted, this starting salary is not going to allow teachers to live a life of luxury, but they won’t go hungry either, especially considering the low cost of living in Warren County. When you think the same $70,000 home here could very well sell for $110,000 in Murfreesboro, there’s good reason their teachers make more a year.
Few people enjoy the thought of quality teachers leaving Warren County, but even fewer people would like paying the monthly bills – and annual taxes – it takes to survive in Rutherford County.
No, we can’t match the teacher salaries offered in Rutherford County. That much is clear. But considering what we would have to sacrifice to pay our teachers slightly more, the question is do the people of Warren County want that trade off?