Collierville holds public hearing on FY2026 town and schools budgets; no vote taken

The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen held a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budgets for the town and Collierville Schools. No action was taken; the board is scheduled to consider adoption at its June 9 meeting, with the budgets (if approved) to take effect July 1, 2025.

Collierville Schools Director of Schools Dr. Russell Dyer presented the school systems proposed budget, which the school board has already passed and forwarded to the municipal board for the towns required review. Dyer said the school budget includes a 3% cost-of-living increase for employees and step increases across the pay scale, and he proposed adding a new step 20 for eligible teachers whose pay scale had previously ended at step 19. "We have proposed a cost of living increase for all of our employees of 3%," Dyer said.

Dyer told the board the schools budget increases teacher salaries and benefits by about $6,224,491 compared with last school year and…