Teachers to receive 3% annual raise

Teachers in the Portales Municipal School District will receive the equivalent of 3% annual raises as a quarterly stipend added to their May 30 paychecks in compliance with legislation approved by the New Mexico Legislature in its 2022 session, the school board decided on Monday.

Superintendent Johnnie Cain said, however, the quarterly raise will add only 0.75% to paychecks, one-fourth of the 3% per year raise.

The board also approved purchase of wi-fi switches, uninterrupted power supply battery systems and access points that will allow united wi-fi service between Portales High School and Portales Junior High School, Joy Griffith, the district’s technology coordinator, said.

The contract for the equipment was granted to Harmonix, a national wi-fi equipment company.

The total cost of the system is $255,757, Griffith said, with federal sources covering 80% of the cost and the rest shared by the New Mexico Public Education Department and local funding, she said.