Public commenters and board weigh asking county for 14% teacher supplement in FY27 budget request

At a public hearing April 6, Cabarrus County Board of Education members heard two speakers urge the district to request a 14% local certified supplement for teachers as part of the FY2026–27 budget. Chair Rob Walter opened the hearing and invited Phil Penn to present the budget overview, after which Michelle Williams and Courtney Steinberg addressed the board.

Michelle Williams, who identified herself as a candidate for the Cabarrus County School Board, said a 13.25% supplement “is not enough” and asked the board to include at least 14% in its request to county commissioners, arguing that the work of teachers and retention pressures require a higher supplement. Williams acknowledged additions such as a 504 specialist and three school social workers but said those steps do not solve retention problems.

Courtney Steinberg backed the 14% ask, urged the district to lease computers rather than purchase them and told the board she had heard a chorus teacher position at Wes Cabarrus would not be renewed; she asked the district to immediately study declines in chorus and other music programs before further defunding arts.

In his presentation, Phil Penn said district funding is roughly half state revenue, with the remainder coming from local operating and capital funds, federal grants, school nutrition and Kids Plus. He presented four budget scenarios combining two variables — leasing vs. buying computers and a certified supplement of 13.25% or 14% — that produced total funding requests ranging roughly from $314.6 million to $320.8 million. Penn also said the county has proposed setting aside $5 million to help cover increased personnel costs; with that contingency the net county‑funded continuation request is about $105.2 million (a 3.52% increase), but without the contingency the increase would be about 8.43%.

Board members debated whether to recommend 13.25% or 14% to the county. Multiple members explicitly said they prefer asking for 14% so the county has the request on the table, while others described a multi‑year approach to move supplements higher over time. Members also asked staff for follow‑up information on union supplement comparisons, total cost of ownership for equipment, and vendor responses about bus radio software; Penn said those items would be returned at the next meeting.

The board did not finalize the district’s formal budget request at the April 6 meeting; several budget items (including amendment actions and consent items) were scheduled for the regular meeting next week where the board expects to vote on final language and placements to the county.