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Lynchburg City Schools finance committee approves 4% staff pay increase despite funding gap
Summary
The Lynchburg City Schools Finance & Facilities Committee voted to approve a 4% pay increase for teachers and staff even though the state change to 4% left the division with an unfunded gap; administrators said they will seek one-time city funds and must certify acceptance of a state compensation supplement by July 30.
The Lynchburg City Schools Finance & Facilities Committee voted to approve a 4% pay increase for teachers and staff, even though members said the change in the state budget created an unfunded gap the division must address.
The motion to adopt the increase was made by a school board member (speaker 3) and approved by roll call; the committee said the administration will pursue one-time assistance from city administration and monitor the budget monthly while implementing the raise.
Why it matters: the board had adopted a budget based on a 2% increase, and the late move by the state legislature to 4% left the district with additional, unbudgeted costs. The superintendent (speaker 2) told the committee the district faces roughly $1,600,000 in added needs to fund the 4% change on top of an earlier $2,100,000 shortfall the city did not cover.
“It is one of those things that’s an unfunded mandate,” the superintendent said, urging the board to coordinate with city administration and noting a July 30 deadline to certify whether the division will accept the state’s compensation supplement.
Board members framed the decision as a choice between protecting staff and tightening other spending. One school board member (speaker 3) urged swift action, saying a 4% increase translates to about $600 net a year for many hourly employees and arguing the district needs broader wage adjustments to retain staff.
The superintendent clarified retroactivity rules: teacher contracts, which begin in August, would begin receiving pay at that contract start; retroactivity would apply only to 12‑month employees such as custodians and administrators.
The committee emphasized that Lynchburg is a self-funded district for health-care costs, so any unexpected rise in benefits would be absorbed locally. Members said they will review the budget "line by line," cut nonessential items where feasible and request one-time support from the city to close the immediate gap.
Roll-call details: the clerk recorded affirmative roll-call votes from Missus Royal, Mister Alain, Mister Carter and Doctor Gupta; the motion carried.
Next steps: the administration will work with city officials on potential one-time funding and will report monthly on fiscal impacts as the division implements the increase.
