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White County school board approves $1,500 top-up for 13 educators after state bonus list review
Summary
Board approved $1,500 payments to 13 licensed staff members to equalize pay with educators included on the state'issued Education Freedom Act bonus list; an amendment to extend the payment to 27 additional staff failed for lack of a second. A board member recused herself from the vote.
The White County Board of Education voted Thursday to approve additional $1,500 payments for 13 licensed staff members after reviewing the state Education Freedom Act (EFA) bonus list and local payroll records.
Board Chairman Mister McDonald said district staff had identified 13 employees who, by time spent with students and duties, were comparable to three staff members included in the state's list and who had already received the EFA bonus. Director Mr. D presented the board with a packet describing the discrepancies and recommended the additional payments to bring those 13 employees to the $2,000 total amount the state authorized for qualifying educators.
The board took a voice vote after motions and seconds. Mister Smith moved to approve the additional $1,500 payments for the 13 employees; Miss Stone seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes. Miss Officer notified the board earlier that she would recuse herself from discussion and any vote on that agenda item.
During discussion, Mister McDonald and several board members argued for a broader distribution, proposing that principals, district administrators and other licensed staff also should receive the top-up. Mister McDonald moved to amend the motion to include 27 additional licensed staff (16 school administrators and 11 district-level employees); that amendment failed for lack of a second.
Board members who opposed widening the payment said the EFA defined the state-funded bonus for classroom teachers and that expanding the local top-up would have fiscal implications that merit fuller review.
The board'approved action was limited to the 13 named staff recommended by district administration. The director said payments would be processed consistent with the board motion.
Votes at a glance: Motion to approve $1,500 top-ups for 13 staff — approved by voice vote; amendment to extend payments to 27 additional staff — failed for lack of a second.
The board did not adopt a separate policy on bonuses during the meeting and said any broader changes would require further fiscal review and possible future action.
