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Classified employees ask board for raises; board members say district lacks funds for further increases
Summary
A classified-employee speaker urged the Lee County Board of Education to approve raises for classified staff, citing family and workload impacts. At the same meeting operations leaders said the district does not currently have capital funds or budget capacity to provide additional classified pay increases beyond those already approved.
During public comment Emily York, identifying herself as a classified employee, asked the board to consider raises for classified staff. "Please show up for us. Please continue to advocate for ... a raise for everybody," York said, adding that showing up for board meetings requires unpaid time away from family and work.
York said she had seen community comments urging pay increases and referenced a recent action by Harnett County as an example the district could consider. "Some of the feedback in the community about Lee County Schools is not great," she said, adding that classified staff are devoted to students and families and asking the board not to take that devotion for granted.
In committee remarks later in the meeting, an operations committee leader responded to what he described as community misinformation and said the district does not have capital funds or lottery funds to complete an auditorium renovation or to build an auditorium with classrooms at Southern Lee, nor does the district have additional money in the existing budget to provide further classified pay increases beyond those approved earlier this year. "I just wanted to be crystal clear that we do not have capital funds to renovate the Lee Senior Auditorium or build an auditorium with classrooms at Southern Lee right now," the committee chair said, adding that the board had been transparent about capital and current expense finances and the limitations on additional raises.
Why it matters: Classified staff pay and recruitment can affect school operations and student services. Public comment highlighted staff morale and community perception; board leadership framed the issue as constrained by capital and operational budgets.
What’s next: The board previously approved certain raises earlier in the year; district staff said they will continue to present financial information at committee and board meetings and bring any proposed budget amendments to the appropriate committee for review.
