Cannon County school officials outline budget priorities, propose $50,000 teacher salary target

Cannon County School District staff on Thursday presented a preliminary budget framework that prioritizes maintaining current positions, raising certified teacher pay toward $50,000, adding nursing coverage at each school, and absorbing increases in transportation and insurance costs.

The budget presenter summarized changes being considered and items that must be included for next year. "I just gave you an update on the document, that I had given you previously with all of the, things that we need to include in our budget," the presenter said, listing salary, technology, tutoring and contract increases as the main drivers.

Why it matters: the proposals would affect staffing levels and services across Cannon County schools, and some costs hinge on pending state information and contract renegotiations. The board must adopt a budget in time to submit required paperwork through ePlan and to incorporate any state-directed teacher bonus funds.

Most significant proposals and constraints

- Teacher salaries: Staff proposed raising certified teacher pay “up to 50,000” as a target for next year and asked the board to decide whether to extend additional pay beyond the existing scale for long‑tenured noncertified employees. The presenter said the district’s current step scale provides routine increases but some employees at about 20 years no longer receive step raises; whether to extend extra pay to those employees was left for board direction.

- Nursing coverage: The presenter said the district is considering adding another nurse so “we would have a nurse at every location,” noting that Joanie Blackburn, currently split between Kennen South and Kennen North, provided a written “day in the life of a nurse” that staff shared with the board.

- Tutoring and Title I: Staff reported reducing a tutoring proposal from roughly $200,000 down to about $87,000 by changing the number/structure of tutors. The presenter said the district is limiting services to meet minimum requirements and will continue primarily ELA interventions under available Title I and related funding.

- Bus contracts and transportation: Staff said contractors requested an approximate 9% increase. One document cited a requested per‑seat rate increase from $23.47 to $25.58 and a mileage increase from $1.89 to $2.06; staff estimated the contract change could raise costs by about $26,471. Those figures are under negotiation, and the district plans to obtain copies of contractor requests.

- Insurance and benefits: Staff estimated medical insurance renewals will increase around 6%; staff said that final statewide figures were not yet available and that some temporary hazard pay given this year was split with federal funds (the district covered $500 of a $1,000 payment this year).

Other operational items

- Technology and curriculum: Staff said they had added MasteryConnect and an online application software suite into the technology line, and noted an ongoing need to budget for assessment and curriculum licensing over multiple years.

- Staffing rotations and specials at elementary schools: Officials discussed whether to convert part‑time library or art positions to full‑time roles (which would affect insurance eligibility) and whether to make an assistant principal (referred to in the discussion as Bridal) full time to cover testing, PLCs and instructional leadership.

- Title I staffing adjustments: Staff said they plan to reduce Title I intervention positions by one and to reallocate an interventionist between schools. Current Title I staffing cited by staff was: two at the middle school, two at Kennen South, one at Kennen North and one at Cannon County Elementary; the planned change would reduce that total by one.

Quotes from school staff

Budget presenter: "We included 5 tutors and took that cost down from 200,000 to around 87,000." The presenter also said state lists for a governor‑funded teacher bonus are being pulled from TNCompass and that the district expected roughly $2,000 plus benefits per eligible teacher but does not yet have the final list.

Mister Nichols (staff member): "I don't think in all the time I've been here that the custodian budget is all used because it's such a revolving door," arguing hiring and retention challenges affect the custodian staffing budget.

Decisions, next steps and constraints

No formal votes were recorded during the workshop segment reviewed. Staff asked the board for direction on (1) whether to add another nurse districtwide, (2) whether to adjust noncertified pay beyond the existing scale, and (3) how to treat any teachers or part‑time staff who might be excluded from the governor's bonus list. Staff emphasized that final budget numbers depend on (a) receipt of the state's teacher bonus list, (b) actual insurance renewal figures, and (c) the outcome of bus contract negotiations.

The board has a scheduled meeting next week to continue budget discussion; staff warned they may not yet have the state list in time for that meeting and that any additions the board chooses to fund for employees not covered by the state bonus would need to be included in the adopted budget and submitted via ePlan.

Ending

Staff presented a package of staffing and contract items they said are needed to maintain current services and to respond to changing student health and instructional needs. Final decisions remain pending pending state guidance, insurance renewals and contract negotiations.