Teachers and all certified personnel paid on the teacher scale will receive a salary bonus this spring due to action at the regular February meeting of the Union County Board of Education. Director Jimmy Carter explained that Governor Lee had proposed a starting teacher salary of $40,000 for the state teacher pay scale. To achieve this starting salary as well as an increase in the entire teacher pay scale, the board included a 2.8 percent increase in the current budget.
But when the pandemic occurred, the state funding for the increase was cut. However, Union County was able to fund the full 2.8 percent in the fall of 2020 with the available funds and no tax increase partly due to the note on the high school being paid.
In January of this year the state approved to restore the funding for the 2 percent for half of the year. Union County received approximately $130,000 that could be paid as a salary bonuses. In order for everyone on the teacher scale to receive the bonus, Union County had to use some of the local fund balance, since there are more teacher positions than the state funds provided for.
Carter gathered feedback from teachers regarding whether to pay the bonus according to training and experience or according to the same amount for all certified personnel. The consensus was to give everyone on the teacher scale approximately $540 since the quarantine policy had caused new teachers to sometimes lose pay since they had no sick leave stockpiled.
When Carolyn Murr, President of Union County Education Association, asked about the withholding on the bonus, Carter assured her that withholding would be at the same rate as the regular salary.
Ann Dyer, Director of Finance, mentioned that Union County would effectively be increasing the certified personnel funding by 4 percent this year due to the bonus and the money already in the budget.
Carter also informed the board that the pay for non-certified personnel needs to be upgraded. He noted that the teacher pay bonus caused a 1.2 percent increase to the local budget for teacher salaries. Then he indicated that he would bring the statistics regarding the cost of a bonus for non-certified personnel to the March meeting for board consideration because he did not want any employee to feel that they were not valued as much as any other employee. He also explained that improvements to the non-certified and the certified scales would occur over the next two fiscal years.
In addition to salary money, the board approved the plan for spending the ESSER Grant, the name of the second round of COVID-19 money from the federal government. Union County will receive $3.5M. Major categories of spending are $1.6M for learning loss, $25,000 for learning acceleration, $888,000 for school facilities repair and improvement, $243,000 in planning for long term closure, $41,000 to meet the needs of special populations, $413,000 for educational technology, and $298,000 for other approved activities.
Highlights of the plan include hiring five intervention coaches with teacher certification and a district level RTI coordinator for two years as well as associated training and materials to address learning loss and acceleration. Upgraded filtration systems would be added to all HVAC systems and educational technology, especially with respect to distance learning, would be updated. Summer school transportation would be provided. The school system would continue the positions of two nurses, a distance learning supervisor, and a safety coordinator that began in the CARES Act for at least two more years.
The board also approved out-of-county travel for the Union County High School girls wrestling team to participate in the State Wrestling Tournament. The Lady Patriots took third place. They will also compete in a tournament in Chattanooga. Sponsors are Bobby Hampshire and James Rimerez.
During the meeting, Murr inquired about several items. Carter addressed each one. The playground at Maynardville Elementary will be resurfaced in late spring or summer. More than one copy machine may be provided at the bigger schools during the new contract if funds permit. The entire teacher scale will be improved, not just the salary of beginning teachers. Outlying classrooms and work spaces will also receive filtration upgrades.
The board approved budget amendments regarding COVID money, carry over and several grants. Dyer explained that distance learning had caused a decrease in revenue for food service due to fewer students eating lunch. However, the cafeteria fund is still financially in good shape. The board also agreed to let a bid for copy machines as well as renew the contract with Stride (formerly k12) for TNVA, the virtual academy, as well as a contract for professional development.
The next Board of Education meeting will be on March 11, at 6:30 p.m.