City of Biloxi job posting sparks Facebook debate: $10 per hour, degree required
A social media post went viral this week when Biloxi uploaded a help wanted notice for summer camp counselors and bus drivers.
The notice went online Monday. By Wednesday afternoon, it had more than 1,000 shares and 540 comments — most of them criticizing the city for requiring a bachelor’s degree for a job that pays between $9.33 and $10.21 an hour.
Among the comments were:
“A bachelors degree and paying folks $10. This is the exact reason why folks leaving this state.”
“A college degree to work a playground?!”
“I saw this shamefully shared by a friend in VIRGINIA, Biloxi. So embarrassing. $10/hour is what high school students should be making. NOT anyone with a degree.”
While those commenting may be outraged, applications have already been filled out, said Cecilia Dobbs-Walton, public affairs specialist for Biloxi.
“We had 19 positions open, and actually right now we have 19 applications,” she said Wednesday afternoon.
Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled, the notice said.
Hiring got a later than normal start this year since extra approvals were needed from the schools to hold camp because of the coronavirus, Dobbs-Walton said.
“We posted the jobs on Facebook as we have done for other positions, so people would be familiar and apply,” she said.
“We are surprised with the negative comments, but know that we are in line with what other cities pay.”
The post has since been deleted.
The rate of pay and requirements for a college degree also follow the Mississippi Department of Health guidelines, Dobbs-Walton said. Given the controversy, she said the city may look at pay rate.
The playground workers II and III, who will be making between $9.33 and $10.21 an hour, respectively, are going to be the assistant directors and directors over the site, and supervise the staff and children. Playground workers I require a high school diploma or GED and will be paid $9.12 an hour, which is over Mississippi’s minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Typically the supervisory positions are filled by local college students majoring in education, she said, or teachers who are out of school for the summer. In the case of teachers, the city contributes to their retirement system, so they get that benefit, she said.
Once hired, the staff is required by the state to have a background check and be fingerprinted, which she said the city pays. Biloxi also picks up the cost for CPR and first aid training for the staff.
Some of the comments on Facebook questioned Gov. Tate Reeves for ending the federal unemployment extension three months early on June 12.
“Tate Reeves these are the great jobs that are out there,” one person said. “A job with the city that wants you to have a bachelor’s degree but pays less than a fast food restaurant. This is the nonsense you are forcing people back to.”
Not all of the comments were negative.
One person said some of the most influential people in their life growing up were camp counselors.
“This isn’t a career! It’s a two month babysitting job,” the person said. “If they pay $15 or $20 an hour then the unfortunate families who can’t afford a $20$ a week summer camp don’t have a place to bring their kids.”
Biloxi has one of the cheapest summer camp rates for parents on the Coast, said Dobbs-Walton.
For residents of Biloxi, the cost is $50 a week for the first child and $25 a week for each additional child, including lunch and snack. The rate for non-residents is $60, and $30 a week for each additional child.
Because of the coronavirus, only three camp sites are open this year for ages 5-12, she said, and registration has ended.
