Fort Thomas board approves tentative 2025-26 budget and 3% salary raise plan
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Summary
The Fort Thomas Independent Schools Board approved a tentative budget for fiscal 2025–26 and a recommended salary schedule that includes a 3% across-the-board raise plus step increases and targeted hourly increases for cafeteria staff.
FORT THOMAS, Ky. — The Fort Thomas Independent Schools Board of Education on Monday approved a tentative budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year and a recommended salary schedule that the district said will provide at least a 4% raise for most staff after step increases.
The board approved the tentative general fund budget in May, the administration said, as well as a salary schedule recommendation that includes a 3% increase for every block on the certified and classified salary schedules and annual step increases for certified staff. District officials also recommended a one-dollar-per-hour increase in each cell of the cafeteria hourly pay grid to reduce local disparities.
District leaders told the board the tentative budget is conservative and closer to the January draft than in past years because more staffing and revenue details are now known. The budget vote in May establishes the working baseline that is usually carried into the final budget adoption in September.
Superintendent-level presenters and district finance staff said the raise package aims to keep Fort Thomas competitive in the region; the district currently ranks fourth in the state for average teacher salary, they said. The administration said the package was designed to be sustainable and to avoid cuts to staff or essential classroom resources.
Board members thanked staff for the years-long effort to balance raises and program continuity. The board approved the salary schedule and tentatively adopted the budget by voice vote.
Next steps: the district will finalize figures during the summer and return for final budget adoption in September when state and enrollment numbers are confirmed.
