With the March meeting quickly approaching, and much to discuss before its arrival, members of the Trigg County Board of Education met Wednesday night for a considerable working session — outlining the district’s immediate future in several areas.
No actions are taken during these labors, but groundwork is nonetheless laid — and sometimes for a better tomorrow.
At present, District Chief Finance Officer Holly Greene is recommending a 3% raise for all certified and salaried class employees, and a $1.25 per hour raise for regular classified employees.
The reason, she said, is simple: it’s time to meet the regional market, and further aid the district’s hopes for continued attraction and retention.
It’s also time to “be aggressive.”
Before Superintendent Dr. Rex Booth’s arrival, the board approved a 5% raise behind an increase in SEEK funding, and the plan was to follow that up with a 3% raise.
However, Greene noted that Title monies were snipped over the last year — and as such, a more conservative approach was taken, and a slimmer raise was given.
This measure, she said, will cost no less than $212,000 annually, plus an additional $53,000 in yearly benefits, and that’s not counting teachers and similar positions. Salaries, she said, are “forever,” and that this one raise alone will cost the district $7 million over the next 10 years.
Furthermore, according to Greene and Board Attorney Jack Lackey, SEEK funding will almost certainly decrease in this year’s biennium budget — as legislators continue to struggle with how the formula actually works alongside the 30-cent effort.
However, looking to observe an 80% staffing | 20% buildings and grounds budget model, Greene and Booth both affirmed that no major capital projects are on the horizon — leaving ample room to anchor staff.
Greene admitted that most of the district’s hourly jobs actually need to increase nearly $2.25/hour in order to meet averages. But one thing Trigg County Schools didn’t do during the global pandemic is use its ESSER funds to bolster staff raises, while many districts in the region did.
Now, she said, it’s time to make up the difference.
As of now, no changes are expected to come to stipends, substitute teacher pay and other likewise careers on the campus. The board meets in regular session next Thursday, March 12.
