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Teachers, union and parents press Clay County School Board on pay, staffing and student mental-health supports
Summary
Multiple teachers, union representatives and parents urged the board to increase teacher pay, add staff for mental health and clinic coverage, and address transportation problems; the union said the boards proposal left many teachers without raises and offered alternatives for funding.
Teachers, union leaders and parents used the meetings public-comment period to press the Clay County School Board for higher pay, additional staff and more mental-health resources for students.
Several teachers described long hours and financial strain. Barbara McKenzie, a teacher with more than 25 years of experience, told the board she works multiple jobs and cannot afford retirement. “An extra $800 a year is a slap in the face,” McKenzie said, critiquing the boards current compensation proposal. Sharon Walsh described a 21-year veteran teacher who spends hours after school providing personalized feedback and lesson planning and noted that the proposed contract would increase that teachers take-home pay by about $40 per week.
The Clay County Education Association (CCA) president, Vicki Kidwell, told the board the districts proposal…
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