Carteret board approves capital and operating budgets; directs staff to build data-backed pay supplements

The Carteret County Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve its capital budget and operating budget and directed staff to draft a data-backed supplemental pay proposal for certified, classified and coaching positions to present to county commissioners.

The board approved a capital request that staff said totaled $4,368,256 and an operating budget presented at the special called meeting. Board members also passed a motion to prepare and submit, alongside the operating budget, supplemental salary increases for certified, classified and coaching positions based on follow-up research and comparative data.

Julie Bernotsky, finance staff member and presenter, summarized changes from the prior workshop packet, including reductions in technology spending compared with earlier proposals. “The total request is $4,368,256,” Bernotsky said. She told the board the district will move to a four‑year Chromebook replacement cycle rather than buying all devices in a single year, which lowers the first‑year cost to $687,000 and reduces a previous roughly $7 million single‑year ask. Bernotsky said software licensing for those devices is…