Board hears budget request to county commissioners that includes classified-staff supplements; classified workers pledge support at county meeting
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Ellis presented a proposed budget request to the county commissioners that includes options for 3%, 4% or 5% classified-staff supplements, an approximately $1.8 million technology refresh and school-safety upgrades; classified employees urged the board to press the county to fully fund the proposal.
Superintendent Dr. Ellis told the Nash County Board of Education the district will present a proposed budget to the county commissioners that includes three options for classified-staff supplements (3%, 4% and 5%), a technology refresh estimated at about $1,800,000, and school-safety upgrades. The presentation was intended as the district’s request in a joint meeting with county commissioners scheduled for May 14.
Several classified employees and transportation staff used the meeting’s public-input period to urge the board to press the county commissioners to fully fund the superintendent’s proposed budget and to advocate for a 5% supplement if possible. Shanique Boone, speaking on behalf of transportation and other classified staff, said, “we would appreciate it if you guys will continue to support the proposed budget that was mentioned, that would include a supplement pay for all classified staff.”
Mary Arrington, who identified herself as a classified employee, said the group had already addressed the county commissioners that morning and that they would return for the joint meeting: “We will be back with more of our classified coworkers on May for the joint county commission board of education meeting.” Thelma Harris and Tonja Richardson expressed similar support for the 5% supplement and asked the board to advocate with the county commissioners.
In the superintendent’s slides the board reviewed at the meeting, certified-staff supplement options were listed at 1%, 1.5% and 2%. The presentation also referenced continued retention bonuses for teachers, new advanced teaching and leadership roles for which the district expects additional cost, and plans to include personnel, technology and school-safety items in the request to the county.
Board members did not vote on the county request during the meeting; the superintendent said the slides had been sent to the county commissioners earlier the same day. Several public commenters explicitly asked board members, including the chair, to advocate for full county funding at the upcoming joint meeting.