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NEDERLAND — A teacher salary package with a veteran schedule compensation return of $77,250 a year highlights one Mid County school district’s effort to secure and maintain valuable educators.

“It is not a secret that there is a teacher shortage,” Nicholas L. Phillips said. “The compensation plan that Nederland ISD has makes it very competitive, not only for our teachers but our support staff, as well.”

Phillips, who serves as school board president, said Nederland’s compensation package is the result of district and campus leadership creating welcoming environments that candidates want to work in.

According to teacher salary information presented by the Nederland Independent School District:

• Re-hired teachers or those with zero experience earn $50,400.
• Teachers with 20 years of experience earn $62,750.
• The top of the scale are teachers with 34 years experience who earn $77,250.
• The Nederland Independent School District’s contribution for employee health care recently increased from $400 per month to $420 per month.

“I think yall have positioned the district in a very good spot for the coming years,” Assistant Superintendent Mike Laird told school board members this week. “We just want to make sure that we maintain that.”

Laird said teachers now joining the profession have an eye toward present and future compensation at a rate that did not exist ten years ago.

He noted the district has only two professional openings right now, putting it way ahead of other regional districts, some of which have 40 or more openings.

“From (attending) three job fairs, I am pretty encouraged about the number of applicants that are going to be available in the spring, particularly,” Laird said.

“We will have three more career fairs in the spring. That is when we will see applicants that are ready to go for us.”

School Board Vice President Micah Mosley said Nederland ISD operates in a very competitive market and must make sure people are put first.

“When you compare us to other school districts in the area, we pay really well, provide good benefits and provide additional support for health care that some districts don’t cover,” Mosley said.

Phillips echoed his fellow school board member’s assessment by saying a partnership between the central office, principals and staff members has created an environment students want to be in and staff members and those looking to work in education want to come work for.

Nederland ISD’s only professional listed openings are for a special education teacher and an occupational therapist.