The Lowndes County School Board of Trustees voted Monday to continue its salary scale structure from the current school year into the 2015-2016 year.
The structure agrees to go along with state-mandated teacher salaries based on experience, but implements a cap of $5,000 as the maximum raise any teacher can receive.
Superintendent Lynn Wright proposed to the board that the current salary scale be maintained. The scale last year included $786,000 in teacher pay raises district-wide.
The final district budget will be known in June, but currently the district has a surplus, according to LCSD business manager Lotis Johnson.
The $5,000 raise cap was put in place because it would be hard to justify raises that large for the employees who are already making the most money, Wright said. Teachers would get a $4,800 raise over four years, while administrators would get larger boosts.
“It’s not that I object to giving anyone a raise, but it would be very hard to have our teachers getting a $4,800 raise spread out over four years,” Wright said. “We have some people who would be getting very large raises. It’s not that I’m opposed to that, but it’s hard to justify that when are teachers are getting $4,800 spread out over four years and we gave up to $5,000 bonuses that we gave up front last year.”
Several board members voiced concern that the bulk of the raises are not going to teachers in the classroom, but administrators. They hope to give teachers more raises when tax revenue from local businesses increases next year.
“I think it’s hard to say to employees we’re going to spend millions on buildings, but not on people,” board member Jacqueline Gray said.
Board member Wesley Barrett motioned the board adopt Wright’s proposal to continue last year’s salary scale and continue with the $5,000 maximum on any single year raise. Robert Barksdale seconded the motion, which passed 3-2, with Brian Clark and Gray opposing.
In other matters
The board also voted on technical support the district will need next year with the implementation of the 1-to-1 computer initiative, which is supposed to put computers in each student’s hand. Wright asked the board to approve the hiring of two computer technicians and two technical coaches, who will assist all campuses with technical issues. Wright said, ideally, the district would have three technicians and two coaches, and they may ask for an additional coach when the final budget is known.
Gray voiced concern that with only two technicians, the West Lowndes campus would be left without support. Wright said the tech staff would be housed in the central office and dispatched throughout the district as needed.
“You can make it sound all pretty, but what it is going to amount to is West Lowndes is going to get shorted,” Gray said.
A motion to adopt Wright’s recommendation for two technicians and two coaches passed 4-1, with Gray opposing.
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