Theater teachers press Henrico School Board about lower pay than athletic coaches

Last summer, after J.R. Tucker High School drama department chair Lisa Dyer raised concerns about the after-school pay she and her colleagues receive, Henrico School Board members assured her that the county was “taking care of it” and that she would soon see “big changes.”

“At that point, I had been advocating for two years,” Dyer said. “So I basically said to the group of theater teachers, ‘Guys, maybe we shouldn’t blow this up. Maybe the county has our back and we should trust that they’re going to do what they say they’re going to do.’ Boy, was that wrong.”

Dyer and several other Henrico Schools theater teachers returned to the school board last Thursday to continue advocating for higher after-school pay. While theater after-school activities stipends have increased for this upcoming school year, they still are significantly lower than stipends received by athletic coaches, teachers said.

Short Pump Middle School drama teacher Tom Harris told the school board he only made $930 last school year for 183 days of after-school work, compared to the assistant track coach position, which received $1,440 for 39 days of an athletic season. This year, Harris was offered $1,403 – a welcomed increase, he said, but still considerably less than the $1,774 an assistant track coach will now make for just one season.

“Steps were taken in the right direction, but the dialogue stopped and here we are,” Harris said. “We are responsible for every aspect of our drama program. Pay grades should be more equitable and better reflect the time, effort, and complexity of each position.”

‘Leveling the playing field’ in pay

After speaking out last summer, and almost dropping her after-school position, Dyer was told by HCPS officials that high school theater teachers would now receive a $1,595 stipend for participating in the Virginia High School League’s One-Act play competition. 

The change was appreciated, she said, but still did not address all the other after-school work theater teachers do each year. HCPS officials have also not communicated whether the One-Act stipend will now be permanent, she said.

“For One-Acts, we throw up a wall flat and bring some chairs. But for a musical, we’re building two-store sets and staircases, and then also a play where we rehearse for eight weeks,” Dyer said. “So that VHSL stipend felt to me like a ‘keep your mouth shut’ payment.”

The VHSL One-Act stipend will be offered to teachers each year, according to HCPS spokesperson Eileen Cox, and participation in the competition is optional. HCPS routinely reviews after-school pay stipends, she said, and since 2024, after-school pay for high school drama teachers has increased by 32.5%, and by 38.8% for middle school drama teachers.

“It seems that the current strategy is: wait until things are literally falling out of the ceiling or the teacher is in the middle of a nervous breakdown before anyone makes a move. That is unacceptable.”
– Lisa Dyer, drama department chair,
J.R. Tucker High School

However, after-school stipends still do not match the vast amount of work done by school drama teachers, who along with directing one or two stage productions each year, must also be in charge of the productions’ choreography, costume design, set design, backstage technology, and more, according to Deep Run High School drama teacher Sheryl Gibson. 

A high school drama head now makes $4,000 for a school year of after-school work, the same as a high school head basketball coach who coaches for a season. But while high school basketball or football teams may have four or five different coaches, the theater program has one sole person in charge.

“Coaching stipends have improved greatly, and I am thankful for that. We are, however, still not being paid the equivalent of colleagues with similar hours and obligations,” Gibson wrote in the school board’s online public forum. “We need to hire choreographers, music directors and tech directors.”

‘Broken tiles’ and ‘antique lighting systems’

School auditoriums have also been left dysfunctional with equipment needing long overdue repairs, said Dyer. Tucker’s stage lights and sound system were not fixed until after more than a year of incessant advocating, she said, and other schools have faced similar, even worse, maintenance issues.

“At [Douglas S.] Freeman High School, a light fell out of the ceiling during a rehearsal and almost hit a kid. At Highland Springs High School, in the old building, an entire batten fell out of the ceiling and no one could use the auditorium for months,” Dyer said. “So this isn’t just little problems here and there. These are massive problems. It’s not an area where the county is putting effort.”

The equipment problems are not just detrimental to the success of the school’s theater program, said Harris, they are also a big safety hazard.

“Again this year, we bandaged an antique lighting system, picked up broken tiles off the floor, and rented or borrowed sound equipment to make the musical happen,” said Harris. “Our auditoriums have current and future needs which have gone ignored and should be addressed ASAP.”

Communication from HCPS officials on auditorium maintenance issues is lacking, Dyer said, and it can often take months or years to fix equipment. Even when she went straight to HCPS Facilities Director Susan Moore with the problems, Dyer was told she had misstepped by going “outside of the chain of command,” she said.

“It seems that the current strategy is: wait until things are literally falling out of the ceiling or the teacher is in the middle of a nervous breakdown before anyone makes a move,” Dyer said. “That is unacceptable. It’s nearly impossible for us to get a straight answer or request help because there’s literally no one in charge of auditorium upkeep in HCPS.”

The administrative team at each school is in charge of communicating with teachers about the procedures for maintenance requests, said Cox. To make repair requests, staff can go to their building’s school maintenance supervisor or principal, who will submit a work order to the HCPS Facilities Department. The timelines for repairing equipment vary for each project, Cox said, and are based on the scope of the work and the availability of materials and funds.

Teachers call on more communication

HCPS leaders met with a group of theater teachers last year, including Dyer, and discussed concerns about compensation, said Cox. Harris also served on the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory School Board last school year, Cox said, giving theater teachers a liaison to share concerns, questions, and information. 

However, Dyer said that since last year’s meeting, she has received “zero communication” from HCPS officials on her concerns. 

“It’s so draining to not feel like you’re wanted, understood, or supported on multiple levels,” she said. “If we were included in conversations and empowered to make decisions, then that would be a step in the right direction.”

Theater is an integral part of many students’ lives and school experiences, said Highland Springs High school counselor Kate Serrao. But oftentimes, theater programs are expected to sustain themselves while athletics programs receive more resources, she said. 

“I’ve seen firsthand the powerful impact theater programs have on students. These productions foster confidence, creativity, teamwork, and belonging. I’ve also seen the immense time and energy theater teachers invest,” Serrao wrote in the school board’s online forum. “Our theater teachers and students deserve the same respect and resources we give to athletics.”

Dyer said she has been asked by other staff, “Well, who don’t you just do less? Why do you put yourself through this?” But she wants to continue the after-school work she is so passionate about – with fair compensation and working conditions, she said. 

“I get a little emotional, because I am really passionate about the work that I do. When you work with 100 kids in a musical and 70 kids in a play, that really adds value to their education. The experience they get, the communication skills – they can’t get it if I’m not willing to do it,” she said. “We just really see the value in what we’re doing with these kids.”

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.