Staff at five of six Kansas universities who voted to leave the civil service have received their first raises in several years.

The classified staff chose to leave the civil service last year because of frustration with stagnant pay. The vote removed the staff from control of the Legislature and allows the universities to determine their pay.

The workers include custodial and maintenance workers and some administrative and supervisory jobs that receive hourly wages.

Staff at the University of Kansas left civil service years ago.

Ali Levine, chairwoman of the University Support Staff Council, told the Board of Regents Wednesday that most staff saw pay raises on July 1. Levine, who works at Wichita State, says staff there received a 3 percent raise.

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Associated Press information from: The Topeka Capital-Journal