School board urges commission to fund coach and fine-arts supplements; initial county vote tied

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Jeff Hobbs. I've been an employee of the Cheatham County School District for the past 18 years. But in 2020, I stepped into the role of county wide athletic director. … I respectfully ask that you vote yes tonight to move funds from the district's fund balance into our coaching and arts supplement budget line." —Jeff Hobbs, countywide athletic director for the Cheatham County School District

The Cheatham County School Board, speaking through Board Chairman David Reiser, asked the commission on Sept. 15 to approve a transfer from the district's fund balance to increase supplemental pay for coaches and fine-arts instructors. "Increasing supplemental pay is not a luxury, it's a necessity," Reiser told the commission, describing a nine‑month review of supplements that district staff and board members undertook this year.

Why it matters: Board members and speakers said supplements for coaches and fine-arts staff have not been updated since 2015, and that the proposed adjustment is intended to recognize unpaid hours and to help retain staff who run athletics, band, theater and other after‑hours programs.

What was proposed: The district asked the commission to approve budget amendments listed under "general purpose schools" that included line items labeled in the meeting materials as: support services — career and technical education program ($148,386.43), and two separate "regular instruction program" amounts ($42,205 and $342,444). The school board said the request would come from the district's fund balance rather than from new county tax revenue.

Commission debate: Commissioners acknowledged support for coaches and arts teachers but expressed concerns about process and timing. Several commissioners said raises and supplements are appropriate but should be included at budget adoption rather than added immediately after the budget was approved. Others noted the school district had worked on the supplement plan since January and that the request sought school‑district, not county, funds.

Votes and outcome: An initial motion to approve all three proposed school budget items resulted in a 6‑yes, 6‑no tie and failed, as recorded in the meeting transcript. The commission later separated the items and approved a motion to adopt the first two listed school budget amendments (the $148,386.43 support‑services line and the $42,205 regular‑instruction line), while the larger $342,444 regular‑instruction request remained pending for further action.

What supporters said: Jeff Hobbs urged commissioners to "please understand" the time and sacrifices coaches give and to vote in favor of the transfer so coaches and fine‑arts staff "can be seen and that they can feel valued." Chairman Reiser said the board and district had gathered data from coaches and comparable districts and had unanimously approved the updated supplement plan at the school board's Sept. 11 meeting.

Next steps and context: Commissioners and the school board discussed bringing fuller compensation changes into future budgets to avoid mid‑year amendments. The school board said it will continue to provide monthly updates and pursue whichever approvals remain necessary to implement the supplements.

Ending: The discussion combined public comment, a district presentation, and commissioner debate about budget timing; commissioners approved two of three requested school fund‑balance transfers and left the remaining request pending for further consideration.