Parker Chronicle 031722

Page 1

Week of March 17, 2022

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ParkerChronicle.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | SPORTS: PAGE 24

VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 16

District approves new teacher compensation system Future funding uncertain as DCSD looks to boost teacher pay BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The owner of Barnett and Son Brewing Co. in Parker, Andy Barnett, pours a beer.

Business corner Parker brewery prepares for St. Patrick’s Day party BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Before Andy Barnett had his brewery in Parker, he was a hobbyist, making beers at home with the help of his ever-curious sidekick: his toddler son. His son, who was about four at the time, always wanted to help with the brewing, Barnett said. “For him it was like a science project,” Barnett said. One day, his son wrote out a label SEE BREWERY, P9

BEST OF THE BEST

Andy Barnett, owner of Barnett and Son Brewing Co. in Parker, poses for a portrait by PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER the brewing equipment.

In what one director described as “a historic moment,” the Douglas County School Board approved a long-awaited new compensation system for licensed employees in hopes of boosting teacher pay and making DCSD more competitive with neighboring districts. That includes three new step-andlane salary schedules that staff say will correct pay gaps, better honor educational attainment, be more transparent and more predictable for staff. There are approximately 3,500 licensed employees, including teachers. But the plan could be seen as a gamble, too, as the district will run out of enough revenue to fund the system after the 2023-24 school year if voters do not pass another mill levy override. For that reason, the district’s fiscal oversight committee had advised against adopting the licensed employee compensation overhaul. District staff said that was an expected position from the committee tasked with safeguarding DCSD’s financials, while board members SEE PLAN, P3

VOTE NOW! ParkerChronicle.net


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