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Teachers' pay drives school budget debate
Dr. Jonathan Lewis defended his proposed budget to the school board Monday night, saying that it reflected a sensitivity to tough economic times.
At least one board member was unimpressed.
“If we don't have teachers, we don't have a school system,” said Center District representative Sally Murray.
Other than the costs of opening two new schools, teacher salaries are the budget's main driver this year.
Teacher compensation for Lewis' proposed budget follows a previous administration's three-year plan in which teachers were to receive increases of $3,000 a year for three years, elevating salaries to a competitive level.
“We are making an honest attempt to met the commitment [of the three year plan]," he said of the FY09 proposal
Last year, however, with budget decreases in FY08, teachers received only $1,500 in salary hikes, with the promise of receiving another $1,500 in FY09.
Murray complained that this changed the three-year plan into a four-year plan, much to the detriment of teachers.
To make up for the changed plans, Murray argued for giving teachers another increase by adding to the total proposed budget.
Lewis agreed to look at some new numbers, but stressed the difficult economic times to the board. He said that his proposed budget showed "everyone in the county that we are partners.”
Donna Grove, Cedar Run District, concurred with Lewis.
'We have to be cognizant of the taxpayers,” she said, a statement reflecting her stance during her winning race for the school board seat.
Lewis said that he is going to look at the possibility of raising salaries while maintaining the current budget proposal.
But there is no where to cut, Murray argued, noting that the school board should ask the board of supervisors for more money than outlined in the superintendent's proposed budget.
Lewis' proposal for instruction, operations, and compensation calls for only a 3.17 percent increase over last year's budget. However, the operating costs of opening Kettle Run High School and Greenville Elementary School, along with the each school's debt service, amounts to $8.8 million, raising the percentage increase of the budget to 9.97 percent.
After lengthy discussion, Chairman Duke Bland asked that Lewis and FCPS budget and operations manager Andy Hawkins present the board with the costs associated with giving a $1,500 raise to those teachers with salaries below $43,000 and a $1,500 plus one percent raise to those with salaries above that figure.
On Tuesday, Hawkins said that the one percent part of the package for those making more than $43,000 would cost $516,669 in direct salary and benefits. An increase of $1,500 for all teachers is already accounted for in Lewis' budget.
In addition to outlining the proposed budget increase of $12.9 million, Lewis also included a list of items not included in the proposed budget. These instructional and operational items amounted to almost $5.4 million that was not in his proposal.
Lewis said that he wanted to keep these excluded requests in the forefront so that they remain high priorities for next year's budget.
“Goal-setting should drive the budget," he said.
“There will be time to get these things. In the short term, we can make do. There is a time for everything.”
E-mail the reporter: afelts@timespapers.com.
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