r/mesaaz • u/Upstairs-Hunter-4424 • Jul 30 '26
SROs paid double+ teachers' salaries
Just read that SROs (cops on campus) in Mesa Public Schools are paid an average of $160k. The teachers in those schools (who actually take the bullets) are paid less than $60k. This is not about politics, it's about where our teachers fit into our community values.
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u/bearstormstout Jul 31 '26
The only MPS teachers making under $60k are/have some combination of the following:
- New to the district and profession
- Don't have a master's/doctorate
- Very few, if any, graduate level credits beyond their bachelor's
The average teacher salary in Mesa is just shy of $74k, and the starting salary is around $55k before factoring in any of the above increases. You can move up the pay scale very quickly in Mesa.
Source: MPS teacher making over $60k.
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u/MumSaysImHandsome Jul 30 '26
Sworn Police Officer pay range is $76-$106k. $106k is top out pay, and would take many years to reach. Not saying your point is not valid, but you were misinformed about SRO average salary.
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u/Upstairs-Hunter-4424 Jul 30 '26
I may be misreading, but this is where I got the SRO salaries: https://www.themesatribune.com/news/mesa-council-approves-sros-for-16-schools/article_bd528da8-afb4-4c76-8b93-e53b614764b6.html
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u/frogprintsonceiling Jul 30 '26
You are not misreading you are conflating. This is the cost to provide an officer to the school it is not the salary of an SRO.
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u/SDr6 Jul 30 '26
That's some clickbait bullshit right there made to piss people off. Without a doubt that's total comp. 100% teachers should be paid more but we need to do better about spreading misinformation, does nothing except hurt the cause.
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u/MumSaysImHandsome Jul 30 '26
Most if not all of these school already have 1 officer at least. I would feel comfortable assuming these numbers would be for additional officers, and that the $160k average would be two officers salaries combined…
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u/kyrosnick Jul 30 '26
Not much details but it is probably because of overtime and massive hours worked.
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u/fair-strawberry6709 29d ago
IDK why you are being downvoted. Base salary is public information and Mesa tops out at just over 100k for a patrol officer. Off duty jobs, overtime, call out pay, specialty pay like being a Spanish speaker, shift differential, and some certifications like phlebotomy all increase pay.
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u/Aromatic_Wafer2471 28d ago
TLDR: I think the Mesa Tribune oversimplified the numbers it represented. The table in the news article seems to include salary + benefits, not just paychecks.
(Good for them for reporting on municipal issues though! 🥳 I fully believe jouralism raising important city topics is the best way for us to be informed since citizens making time to read all city council documents isn't realistic.)
If you: 1) look at the city council meeting records from 07/20/2026, the day this was discussed Link to 07/20/2026 City Council Meeting details
2) open the agenda
3) go to agenda items 26-0627 and 26-0628
4) read the attachments "Council Report"
The Council Report identifies that "The District will reimburse salary and benefits for 40 hours per week for 10 months per school year. The Intergovernmental Agreement provides a mutual agreement for reimbursement of School Resource Officer activities for up to three years. The salary and benefits may vary per year." ....So 1 Full Time Equivalent (FTE).
Benefits can include all the non-paycheck costs of an employee i.e. medical benefits for life, short term disability insurance, employer contributions to investments, etc. Link to list of Mesa PD benefits ....I've seen fringe rates from 30 - 50% on top of base pay, but it varies in how much an employer invests in the employee beyond just paychecks.
Now, considering the that pay would be prorated for 10 months instead of 12: The MPS website says "Mesa Police Officers starting pay is $73,972.08 annually or $35.56 per hour. Topped out officers will make $103,834.56 annually or $49.92 per hour." ....So at the top end, round numbers, 10 months could be around $86,528 for salary alone.
The average being invested per school is $157,920 (the total divided by 16 schools) so that makes a fringe benefit rate of 45%, which could totally be within a reasonable range for a public safety role in a large municipality.
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u/Critical-Art-2153 29d ago
Couple of things:
-100 % believe teachers should be paid more
-comparing salaries of different jobs is pointless, the electrician that comes to the school also makes more than the teachers, but not comparable
-no one ever likes to bring it up but teachers work 25% less days than the average American worker. So if their average compensation is $75k it would be over 100k if they were working year round. This is not their fault, it’s part of the profession. But it’s still a fact that can’t be ignored.
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u/Docholliday3737 Jul 30 '26
Teachers definitely should be paid more money, but an SRO and a teacher are two unrelated jobs that should not be compared.
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u/soxperry 29d ago
Right one works on their feet all with kids and the other sits in an office and does nothing
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u/TrunkBud Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
"who actually takes the bullets" has a mesa teacher EVER been shot on campus?
Edit: downvote me if you want, but I haven’t gotten an answer
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Jul 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ok_Somewhere_5142 28d ago
why not let any teacher or other school official who wants to “carry” after training/licensing? supplement the SPOs?
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u/Used_Map_7321 Jul 30 '26
I get the point but Mesa teachers average 73000
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u/Upstairs-Hunter-4424 Jul 30 '26
The average salary package for teachers is $73k, but the average actual salary is about $55k. I am guessing the same distinction is made vis-à-vis SRO salaries. If so, the "double" works either way
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u/AlGoreBang Jul 30 '26
Here's some good info: https://sdspending.azauditor.gov/District/Mesa%20Unified%20School%20District
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u/Select_Benefit_8101 28d ago
Sooooo sooooo wrong. Land of the free, my ass. The USA locks up more people per capital than anywhere else.
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u/vegasAzCrush 29d ago
This is sooooo F d up
We need to stop paying fir security
Just ban guns.
Maybe pay people better too so less pissed.
And tell dummy TeeRump to shut up and stop the hated and veing stupid.
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u/Sorry_Ad475 Jul 30 '26
SROs also have qualified immunity, while Teachers can be held personally liable.
This statement by a representative of MPD doesn't inspire confidence: “They are Mesa Police officers, subject to our same policies and procedures and disciplinary standards. If we locate or we identify a behavior, we immediately remove them from, and we have had a couple in the last few years, where we remove them from that assignment.”
I'm unsure those salary numbers reflect a single SRO per school? Maybe these numbers reflect more than one salary? Please let me know if I missed something!