Board members say Cumberland County teachers need more pay
An increase in teacher pay will have to wait another year in Cumberland County as the Cumberland County Board of Education prepares to turn in its budget to county commissioners.
The discussion about a pay increase came too late to address the rapidly approaching budget deadline, a board member said.
"I think we go into it we make a commitment now to make it a priority next year and figure out a way if it's important to the board," board member Greg West said. "We just can't do it this week."
During a presentation on the district’s proposed budget at their monthly meeting last week, several school board members said that because of low teacher pay in the state, CCS teachers could use an increase in local supplement pay.
“I want to thank them for the long, hard work that they do every day …,” Board President Deanna Jones said. “Some of them are leaving. They’re going to other counties, and some of them are just leaving the profession altogether."
Where the proposed budget stands
The district’s recommended budget is $603 million and is due to commissioners by Wednesday, Jay Toland, CCS assistant superintendent of business operations, told the board.
CCS is requesting $91 million from Cumberland County, which is $3.5 million more than the current year’s budget, and accounts for state-mandated increases like inflation or utility costs, Toland said.
The proposed budget also accounts for using $21 million of the school district savings to balance the budget and cover state-mandated pay increases that average about 3%, he said
What’s been done about pay in the past
In 2018, the board increased supplements by $1,000 for teachers with 25 years or more experience, said Ruben Reyes, associate superintendent for human resources.
The board contracted a consultant for a 2022 salary study that recommended teacher salary supplements be increased by 2%.
A 2% increase would equal $3.7 million for the district, a cost not approved by county commissioners, Reyes said.
During the last budget cycle, the board approved a supplemental retention bonus for all certified staff instead of a permanent supplemental increase.
In September, teachers received an average $996 bonus that will be paid again this September from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, which expire after this year.
The bonuses are a one-time cost to the district, compared to supplements being a recurring cost.
Teachers’ other jobs
Board member Donna Vann, a retired educator, said teachers, coaches and other district professionals are now Uber drivers, delivering food and working additional jobs to make ends meet.
“That’s not what a premier professional needs to be doing to make ends meet,” Vann said.
Board member Carrie Sutton said she’s seen teachers working at local retail stores and restaurants “after they’ve worked all day” in a classroom.
Other board reactions to teacher pay
Board member Jacquelyn Brown, a retired CCS assistant teacher and administrative assistant, agreed that teacher pay should be a priority because Cumberland County teachers are leaving for other districts or private and charter schools that pay more.
Board member Judy Musgrave, who is also a retired educator, questioned the superintendent's cabinet receiving a 15% pay raise earlier this year.
“It does make it look real funny when you can’t do it for the people who are down in the trenches,” Musgrave said.
Why the supplement increase didn’t make it to this year’s budget request
Board member Greg West said he didn’t disagree with the other board members who said that teachers need more pay.
“But it’s kind of the eleventh hour to be bringing this up,” he said.
Vann and Brown agreed with West, that it’s too late for this budget year, while Sutton said that salaries account for 63% of the district’s budget, and officials would need to figure out how to account for a supplement increase.
Are you a current or former Cumberland County Schools' teacher who's had to work a second job because of low teacher pay? If so, email staff writer Rachael Riley at rriley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County Board of Education on money for teachers
