Wednesday, December 17, 2003
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003 |
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BOE finds money for teachers’ raises By J. FRANK LYNCH Things are looking up financially for the Fayette County school system, enough so to make good on a pay raise for all employees starting in January. But the district isn’t out of the woods just yet, Finance Director Jim Stephens told the Board of Education Monday. The good news is that the district saved enough money through belt-tightening during the first five months of the current fiscal year to make good on a promised pay raise to district employees. The across-the-board salary increase of one-half percent per month is retroactive to July 1, so employees will actually see a 1 percent increase in their checks after the first of the year. The good-faith measure was offered as part of Stephens’ regular mid-year amended budget, which the board approved unanimously. The adjusted spending plan comes almost two months earlier than usual, said Stephens, partly by design and partly by necessity. “We’re doing this much earlier,” said Stephens. “Last year it was February before we made the adjustment, but the state is being much more open with us this year.” State budget officials have already handed down the yearly “austerity” adjustment, based on amended enrollment figures and district needs. With it, said Stephens, came word of still more budget cuts from the state level. Superintendent John DeCotis reminded the board that three years ago, almost 60 percent of the local budget was paid for through state funds. The current budget splits the responsibility nearly in half. “We’ve added students, we’ve added buildings but we’ve gotten less funding,” said DeCotis. Added Stephens, “The thing that has been our salvation and helped us through the years is the strong growth in the Fayette County economy.” A significant increase in the county’s tax digest this year helped, said Stephens. Monday was the deadline for paying Fayette County property taxes this year, the primary source of revenue for the school system. “The economy is getting a little better but the people at the state level tell us that the government is always about a year behind feeling the benefit,” said DeCotis. Additional savings have been found through a hiring freeze applied in September to all non-instructional spending. DeCotis noted that the freeze would be lifted and budgeted expenditures allowed to proceed starting in January. Also, several special ed teaching positions and the like hired for needs that did not materialize have been eliminated, saving more money, Stephens noted.
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