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Middlesex supervisors approve budget moves so schools can pay $1,000 retention bonus
Summary
The board approved a school budget supplement to reallocate categorical funds after the governor signed a state budget provision that provides funds for $1,000 bonuses to returning school division employees; the school division will seek final action at its next meeting.
Middlesex County supervisors on a unanimous vote approved a budget-supplement request that reassigns existing school division funds so the division can pay a $1,000 retention bonus to staff who return for the next school year.
The vote came after Dr. Mary Sites, a school representative, told the board that the state’s recently signed budget includes categorical funds for SOQ-funded instructional positions and other allocations that require reclassification within the school budget before the division may pay bonuses. “We have the money. We just need it appropriated into the correct category,” Dr. Sites said during the meeting.
Why it matters: administrators said the state allocation covers part of the bonus program and the division will use a mix of state and existing local funds to provide $1,000 per returning employee if the school board approves the plan at its meeting the following Monday. The board’s action was limited to moving existing revenues into the required spending categories; no additional county tax dollars were requested at the meeting.
Details: Dr. Sites explained the money from the state is targeted to instruction and other categorical accounts and that transportation and other non-instructional categories do not receive the same state-funded portion. The request before the board moved unspent money within the division’s accounts into administration, attendance and health, transportation, maintenance, technology and nutrition lines to permit payment of bonuses across employee categories. Board members asked how many staff would be affected in particular lines; Dr. Sites said the central-office/health/attendance category would need “roughly 20 people” covered by the transferred funds.
Action taken: Supervisor Jesse moved the motion to approve the FY25 budget supplement; Supervisor Crittendon seconded. Roll call showed unanimous approval and the motion carried.
What’s next: The school board will take formal action on the $1,000 bonus at its next meeting; county staff said they expect updated state-calculation tools that could slightly change the final numbers and that the county may return with an updated appropriation in June if needed.
