Board approves school supplemental budget items and teacher compensation changes

School division leaders presented three budget supplement requests on May 5 and described how state and federal funds would be applied. The first request reallocated state SOQ funds and board‑designated end‑of‑year funds to support retention bonuses for staff. A second action adjusted accounts tied to average daily membership (ADM) changes that affected state funding categories. A third set of federal and state grant awards — including an $89,000 award for afterschool tutoring and targeted summer professional development — was presented; those grants are specific and must be used for stipulated activities and reporting.

The board approved the three supplement requests by roll call. Dr. Sykes described compensation proposals for FY27: teacher pay will be a step increase plus 4% (about 5.3% total), and other staff will receive a step plus 3% (about 4.3% total). She said the division adjusted positions and used a combination of state LCI adjustments, position eliminations and other savings to fund recurring compensation increases, and cautioned that future budgets may require the board to revisit recurring costs depending on state funding.