LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Campus security monitors will soon get a pay raise, according to the Clark County School District's Board of Trustees.
On Thursday night, the approved approved a measure for pay to go up to between $21 and $30 an hour. According to the district, the fiscal impact from the pay increase is expected to be around $4 million.
Jan Giles, the president of the Education Support Employees Association, said the pay bump was needed.
"The campus security monitor starting salary was at $14.66 and with being able to go to work at In And Out Burger or any of the fast food restaurants now, they start at $15 and there's no real risk involved in those jobs," Giles said. "We actually had a campus security monitor say that they worked as a prison guard. They compared this work to working in a prison but yet, they make more money working in a prison versus being in a school setting."
The vote comes after a campus security monitor was shot by a stray bullet at Ed Von Tobel Middle School on Monday.
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Giles said that wasn't the first instance of violence against monitors and that another monitor was attacked and beaten this past year. She added that by making the wages competitive, it will help fill the gap when it comes to campus safety.
"We feel this is going to help fill those vacancies so that all schools that budget for campus security monitor vacancies, and then students will help students feel safe and get the education they deserve," Giles said.
Giles said right now, there is no current ratio per student, per square foot in terms of how many security monitors are required per campus. However, that is being discussed in the Nevada Legislature. Giles said Senate Bill 148 has been introduced, which would include minimum staffing requirements for campus security monitors and custodians.
