Teachers projected to get pay increase

NEWBERRY COUNTY — The proposed Newberry County School District Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget includes a $1,000 pay increase for teachers and nurses, as provided by the state.

According to NCSD Chief Financial Officer Susan W. Dowd, this increase, required by the state, will go toward teachers and nurses only, and is an increase in the budget of $636,784. This will average to a two percent salary increase, according to Dowd.

Along with this increase, teachers and nurses will also receive their annual Step increase, which is an increase in the budget of $333,723.

Originally, the FY 2021-22 budget included a $300,000 increase to add one percent to the local salary supplement for certified teachers, taking it from 6.5% to 7.5%.

“We have a local salary supplement of 6.5%, whatever the minimum salary is the state says we have to pay, the district has always paid, as long as I’ve been here, 6.5% higher than that minimum. We are asking to increase it, trying to be more competitive with other districts,” Dowd said.

During the public hearing last week, the board requested that Dowd reduce the increase to half of a percent for a total increase of $150,000, rather than $300,000.

There was also a $180,000 Step increase for all other district staff and an increase of $157,907 for a two percent cost of living adjustment salary increase for all other staff. The board requested the removal of the Step increase for classified and administrative staff.

These board requests were due to no increase in revenue at this time, according to Dowd. These changes will be presented to the board during the second reading, to be held on June 28.

Within the budget, there are also 11 certified teacher positions and one computer technician added to the budget.

Three positions and the computer technician position are being budgeted through the general fund for an increase of $150,000 and $45,000, respectively. One position is being funded via CERDEP (preschool fund) at $50,000 and seven elementary math interventionists teachers are being paid for with ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) at $350,000.

The expenditures for the district are projected at $61,173,744.

On the revenue side of the budget, the district is projected to receive $60,836,073 from all sources. According to Dowd, this is a projected increase of $1,613,506 over the previous budget. The Base Student Cost for the new fiscal year is $2,516.

By the first reading, total expenditures was $61,173,744 and the total proposed revenue was $60,836,073, for a negative difference of $337,671. However, following the changes requested during the public hearing, the budget is now balanced.

Dowd said the proposed budget does not represent a mill increase.