Board approves superintendent budget with $1.2M reallocated to classified staff; several amendments and personnel items also approved

The Cumberland County Board of Education’s committee meeting approved the superintendent’s recommended 2025–26 budget with a late change to move $1.2 million from principal and assistant‑principal supplements into classified‑staff supplements, boosting pay for cafeteria workers, teacher assistants and bus drivers.

The change was proposed by Board member Jackie Warner and seconded by Linda Bell; staff were directed to implement the shift and return adjusted numbers to the full board. Jay, who presented the budget to the committee, told members the requested change would reassign funds the district had previously set aside: “we had 1,200,000.0 allocated for classified supplements, additional supplements, and then another 1,200,000.0 for assistant principals and principals,” and the motion would move the principal/AP amount into classified supplements.

Why it matters: board members said the reallocation addresses volunteer and community concerns that lower‑paid, often 10‑month classified employees receive smaller percentage increases than 12‑month administrators. Warner described the change as an attempt to “keep people in the classroom” and to focus limited local dollars on employees most at risk of leaving.

Other formal actions at the meeting included unanimous committee approval of state public‑school fund and competitive‑grant budget amendments for 2024–25; approval of three alternative‑school accountability models (Howard Learning Academy, Ramsey Street and Algebray Wilkins); and multiple personnel items including leaves of absence, standard personnel approvals and administrative appointments. The superintendent’s administrative recommendation to hire Daniel McLeod as director of arts education was presented as a consider item and approved by the personnel committee.

Key procedural notes: staff and the chair emphasized the board’s budget action remains contingent on final county funding: the superintendent’s recommended request to the county was approximately $14 million; the board said adjustments will be revisited if county contributions differ. Committee members also agreed to place the budget on the full board’s discussion agenda rather than on consent, for transparency.

Votes at a glance (committee items): - Superintendent’s 2025–26 recommended budget with reallocation of $1.2M from principal/AP supplements to classified supplements: Motion by Jackie Warner; second by Linda Bell; passed (committee motion passed; exact tally not specified in committee transcript). Notes: contingent on county funding; staff to produce updated numbers before full‑board vote. - Budget amendments (state public school funds and competitive grant funds for 2024–25): Motion to approve; passed unanimously in committee. - Approval of 2025–26 alternative accountability models for the district’s three alternative schools: Motion to approve; passed in committee. - Personnel committee approvals (standard personnel list, leaves of absence, special leaves, contract renewals, administrative appointment of Daniel McLeod as director of arts education): motions made and approved in committee; separate closed‑session discussion was held on legal/privileged matters before some personnel votes.

What’s next: the budget and the other committee recommendations will go to the full board for final action; staff will present updated budget figures and any changes requested by members ahead of that meeting.