Last week, the New London School Board voted in favor of a 1 percent wage increase for certified and support staff for the 2014-15 school year.
The increases are below the consumer price index (CPI) of 1.46 percent.
CPI is a cost of living metric applied to base wages and often used as a benchmark tool for employers.
Joseph Marquardt, the district’s director of business services, explained that the percentage was less than the benchmark because the budget cannot support a higher percentage.
District Administrator Kathleen Gwidt explained, “Although we would like to do more, we simply cannot afford it at this time.”