Somerset Independent approves raises for staff, tentative budget

May 14—The Somerset Independent Board of Education discussed a couple of money-related matters at their monthly meeting held on Tuesday, as salary schedules for employees and a tentative budget were approved for the next fiscal year.

The board approved a 3% raise across the board for certified and classified staff, with targeted increases in other areas "in order to be comparable to other area districts," according to board President Jacob Grabeel.

The board also approved the next fiscal year's tentative budget, which sees a total for expected expenditures at $25,158,729.55.

Both the salary increases and budget will go into effect July 1.

The board also had a potential cost-saving boost for students — and their parents — currently in the fourth, eighth and twelfth grades, as they approved the donation of Chromebooks to those students.

Grabeel explained that the devices currently being used by those grades are reaching the end of the operational lives, which is around three to five years.

Superintendent Kyle Lively said the district had several reasons for donating the Chromebooks to the students.

"One, it gives these students a device to use when they're finished with them," Lively said. "Second, hopefully it's motivation to take better care of them moving forward. And third of all, we'd end up having to e-scrap them or do something else with them anyway, so I think it's a practical use for them."

Officials said there were around 320 to 350 devices that would be donated.

Also at Tuesday's meeting the board heard an annual report from Becki Hays, the director of the district's Special Education department.

Hays told the board that the goal of Special Education is to provide "free and appropriate public education for ages 3 through 21. Our job is to make sure those children have access to general curriculum through the accommodations and modification that their IEPs (individualized education programs) provide," she said.

The program also helps students to be ready to go into college or training programs that they may want to do after school, allowing them to be successful in their adult lives.

Hayes said the program has a total of 277 students across the district in areas ranging from mental disabilities to autism to physical impairments such as hearing, visual or orthopedic impairments.

Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com