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School officials discuss using carryover to close pay gaps, shore up security funding
Summary
At a Halifax County Public Schools meeting, staff reported carryover figures and board members debated using reserve funds to cover a shortfall between state-funded raises and employee pay needs, including a proposed longevity bonus and $1 million for security.
Dr. Butler (role not specified) told the Halifax County Public Schools board that the division has nearly exhausted its current-year general fund and that carryover estimates remain uncertain until auditors complete their review. The division reported $69,859,010.80 in expenditures from a $70,784,759 general fund figure and $81,423,721.94 in expenditures against an $82,000,000-plus total budget used in the presentation.
The discussion centered on a shortfall between the state-provided 3% increase for Standards of Quality (SOQ)–funded positions and the division’s desire to provide a 3% across‑the‑board increase to more employees. Board members and staff reported that only about a third of district employees are SOQ-funded, and the division proposed using carryover to make up the gap so custodial, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, paraprofessionals and some teachers and administrators who are not fully SOQ-funded would receive the increase.
Board members pressed staff for details. One board member asked whether the board was being asked to add to the state 3% raise; staff replied the request was to shore up funding, not to increase the 3% itself. Another board member said the carryover request discussed at a recent finance‑committee meeting was about $2.7 million. The finance committee, which includes members of the board of supervisors, did not unanimously support releasing the carryover at its Monday meeting, though the item was ultimately presented to the full board.
Members also raised the broader personnel and retention implications of limiting raises to the state‑funded positions. A board member said providing only the baseline funding “doesn’t cut it” for staff recruitment and retention and urged the board to prioritize pay and student safety needs. Staff clarified that the district cannot finalize carryover estimates until auditors complete their approvals and the final carryover could be smaller than the preliminary figures shown.
No formal vote on allocating carryover funds for the 3% shortfall or the proposed longevity bonus was recorded in the transcript during this portion of the meeting. The board did vote to approve a listed set of year‑end bills so staff could close out the fiscal year; that motion was seconded by Michelle (role not specified) and approved by voice vote.
