Lexington educators and classified staff urge county to broaden supplements, cite retention struggles

Dozens of Lexington City Schools employees and local education officials urged Davidson County commissioners Tuesday to expand proposed supplement dollars beyond classroom teachers to include classified staff such as bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and teacher assistants.

Speakers at the public comment portion of the May 27 meeting said the county’s supplement proposal should be flexible so Lexington can allocate funds where most needed to retain workers and maintain school operations.

The appeals came ahead of a county budget public hearing later in the meeting and followed detailed presentations from school employees about day-to-day impacts of staffing shortages. "Our classified staff are the backbone of our operations," Lexington School Board member Lisa Hathaway told commissioners. "They deserve fair compensation."

Several speakers described specific operational effects tied to staffing. Dan Behringer, director of transportation for Lexington City Schools, said recruiter losses force route combinations, delayed pickups and longer rides, which can make families consider other districts. "This supplement helps us retain and also recruit skilled, dependable drivers," Behringer said. Tim Curry, who oversees maintenance and custodial services for Lexington City Schools, told commissioners that skilled maintenance staff are leaving for higher-paying private-sector jobs and that supplement dollars would help keep buildings safe and classrooms climate controlled.

Multiple speakers asked for flexibility in how the county’s proposed supplement funds are allocated. Nakia Hardy, who identified herself as a former classroom teacher and longtime school supporter, said Lexington City Schools is not asking for new money but rather the ability to reallocate proposed supplement dollars so the district can invest in both teachers and classified staff. Hardy cited proposed teacher supplement increases from an 8 percent minimum to 8.75 percent and asked that classified supplements be increased from 2 percent to 3 percent, noting the latter would range from about $285 to more than $1,100 annually depending on salary.

Speakers repeatedly emphasized that many classified employees earn less than $40,000 a year and that modest supplements could materially help recruitment and retention. Bridget Effinger, a bus driver of nearly four decades, said the bus is often the first adult contact a child has each day and described how driver shortages stretch resources and lengthen routes.

Davidson County Schools Superintendent Greg Slate also spoke during the public hearing later in the meeting, thanking commissioners for increasing the county teacher supplement from 6.125% to 6.75%. Slate asked for continued collaboration on capital needs and pressed the board to consider funding for a full-time nurse at Stoner Thomas School, which serves students from multiple districts and has growing medical needs.

Why it matters: Commissioners are preparing the county’s 2025–26 budget; supplement levels and allocation rules can affect teacher and staff pay across multiple local districts, influence recruitment and retention, and shape operating conditions in schools.

The board held a public hearing on the proposed county budget and scheduled a budget workshop for June 5 to continue deliberations. Commissioners did not take a final funding vote at the May 27 meeting.