Last night the Danville School Board approved a budget adjustment, which included a two percent salary increase for Danville Public Schools (DPS) employees, to be effective January 1, 2024. The two percent salary increase will be added to the five percent increase already implemented this year, resulting in a seven percent increase over the 2022-2023 salary schedules.

Funds for this raise were included, in part, in the state’s budget approved by the Virginia General Assembly in September. Since the implementation of a salary study in 2019, the base salary for a first year teacher at DPS has risen from $39,924 in 2017-2018 to $46,211 for 2023-2024.

“Money can’t buy what our teachers are worth, but the least we can do is make sure they are being paid well and have the resources they need,” School Board Chair Ty’Quan Graves said.

To ensure that pay continues to meet the needs of employees and remains competitive, the board also approved a salary study during an October meeting.