Director Jimmy Carter offered the Union County Board of Education a balanced budget with no tax increase at the regular April meeting.
The budget meets Governor Lee’s request of a $40,000 beginning salary for teachers and building the current salary bonus into the overall certified employee pay scale.
Other notable salary improvements will occur for custodians, technology, and noncertified employees in general. Dr. Carter recommended “holding the line” on supervisor salaries as well as his own and stated a concern that supervisor salaries were growing at a higher rate than teacher pay. Nearly all of the increases in the FY22 budget are due to increases in salary and benefits.
In the board workshop, Carolyn Murr, UCEA President, encouraged the school board to continue to improve salaries of teachers especially for the more experienced since for many years this part of the pay scale had seen no increases while state monies increased the beginning teacher salary but left veteran teachers static. Murr also requested that UCEA be returned to the meeting agenda.
The board passed nearly a dozen TSBA recommended policy changes on first reading. The board approved budget amendments and transfers regarding growth money and state and federal money to compensate for the impact of the pandemic.
In addition, Carter received approval to submit the application for ESSER 3.0. This federal and state grant will provide several million dollars to be used at 20 percent instruction and 80 percent maintenance to also close learning gaps and upgrade facilities. Carter also asked Ann Dyer, who is retiring as of June 30, 2021, to administer the ESSER Grants in a part time administrative position to be paid by the grants.
Dr. Ronnie Mincey, Supervisor of Federal Programs, explained the Consolidated Application for Federal Funds. He noted that all federal funding expected a total increase of at least $123,000. The board approved the submission of the application.
The board attorney requested an executive session following the meeting to discuss upcoming litigation.
The FY22 budget will be voted on at the next regular meeting on May 13.