Patrick County School Board approves pay increase for instructional assistants, authorizes SCAP roof application

The Patrick County School Board on Feb. 13 approved a budget update that includes a $2,000 increase to instructional/teacher assistant pay and authorized staff to apply to the Virginia Department of Education's School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) to combine three flat-roof replacement projects to meet the program's $1,000,000 minimum and seek roughly 30% reimbursement.

Speaker 3, presenting the budget update, said the division conducted an internal salary comparison and found the largest pay discrepancy in instructional/teacher assistant positions. "We increase teacher assistant pay and their whatever step they are on a $2,000 beginning January 1," Speaker 3 said, adding that staff would receive about $1,000 of that increase in the partial first year.

Speaker 3 also described changes to SCAP rules that would allow the division to combine up to three similar projects to reach the $1,000,000 threshold: "DOE has changed and now we can combine up to 3 schools with similar projects," Speaker 3 said, noting that the division would receive approximately 30% of the total cost if the application is successful.

Board business moved to a formal vote after Speaker 2 made the motion. "I'd like to make a motion to approve your budget update as presented," Speaker 2 said. The motion carried by voice vote after discussion in which members expressed support and asked procedural questions about phasing and cost.

The vote gives the superintendent authority to proceed with the SCAP application and to implement the approved salary adjustment in the division's payroll system according to the timeline described in the meeting. The board did not provide a roll-call tally in the transcript; approval was recorded by voice vote.

The board then moved to other business and later convened a closed session to discuss personnel matters.