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Resident urges county to close teacher-pay supplement gap amid rising vacancies
Summary
A Sanford resident told commissioners that lower local teacher pay supplements are contributing to teacher departures from Lee County schools in favor of neighboring counties with higher supplements.
A Sanford resident and parent told the Lee County Board of Commissioners Monday that teacher retention in Lee County Public Schools is suffering because the county’s teacher-pay supplement is lower than those offered by neighboring counties.
Mike Sawaya, who identified his address as 299 Raccoon Court and said he has lived in Lee County since 1981, urged the board to “close that gap” between Lee County supplements and those in Wake, Chatham, Harnett and neighboring counties. Sawaya told commissioners he researched local supplements and reported comparative ranges: Wake County supplement amounts of about $7,399 to $14,399; Chatham County $6,800 to $10,800 (plus up to a 3.75% salary bonus); Harnett County $5,255 to $6,455; Lee County $3,900 to $6,100 (described as a straight 10% state pay bonus); and Moore County $3,280 to $5,663.
Sawaya said the county currently averages about 1.8 teacher vacancies per school and that Wake and Chatham counties’ vacancies had declined while Lee County’s had increased. He said teachers were leaving Lee County for higher pay in neighboring counties and asked the board to address pay differentials without triggering a bidding war.
The chair thanked Sawaya for his comments; the public-comment segment does not record board action. Staff did not provide an immediate response or data correction in the meeting record.
