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Residents and teachers urge Williamson County to honor promised 4% raise ahead of June 18 vote
Summary
Six public commenters, including teachers and school employees, urged Williamson County commissioners to include a promised 4% raise for Williamson County Schools staff in the upcoming budget vote, saying the increase is necessary to retain and recruit teachers given local living-cost pressures.
Community members urged Williamson County commissioners on June 8 to include a promised 4% pay increase for Williamson County Schools employees when the commission votes on the budget on June 18. Six speakers in the citizen-communications period framed the raise as essential to recruitment, retention and honoring commitments.
John Haynes, a pastor and candidate for the 11th district, told the commission he supports the 4% raise and described teachers as investing daily in the county’s children. “A 4% raise is a tangible way to stand before those who stand before our students every day,” Haynes said.
Beverly Pervis of Fair View and Ravita Rockman, speaking for One Willilco, also urged full funding of the 4% increase, arguing the county’s reputation for high-performing schools depends on retaining quality teachers. Pervis said without pay adjustments many educators will see their purchasing power fall as costs rise.
Angela Frederick, who identified herself as a nine-year employee of Williamson County Schools, said many staff live outside the county because of housing costs and hold second jobs to make ends meet. She cited a Massachusetts Institute of Technology living-wage calculation to illustrate the gap between local wages and the cost of living. “Raising the salary scale should be a top priority,” Frederick said.
Superintendent Jason Golden told commissioners the school board has included a 4% request in its budget request to the county but has not yet taken a final vote; he said the district had factored several scenarios into its submission. Golden also noted that recent state measures identifying single-letter grade and reward-school status boosted revenue projections by about $4 million compared with earlier estimates.
Commissioners did not vote on teacher pay at the June 8 meeting; the chair reminded the audience that the budget adoption vote is scheduled for June 18 at 9:00 a.m. and that county staff and the school board will continue to fine-tune numbers before that meeting.
Ending: The commission’s June 18 meeting is expected to include a final vote on the county budget and the associated tax rate; speakers asked the commission to fund the school district’s request for a 4% increase at that session.
