Rhonda Thurman Says District Should Repair Run-Down Schools Rather Than Give Employee Raises

  • Thursday, April 12, 2018

County School board member Rhonda Thurman said Thursday the district should use extra money to repair run-down schools rather than for teacher raises.

She said, "Instead of fixing the elephant in the room - all the capital maintenance needs - when we get some extra money we always put it into salaries."

Ms. Thurman said there is always money for fixing up space in the central office, but she said there are schools "where central office administrators wouldn't want to have their offices." She said that includes Soddy Daisy Middle School, where she said there were "snakes crawling through the walls."

The new budget includes $5.5 million for a pay increase for employees, plus potentially a one-time bonus. There would be a two percent raise, plus a step increase for eligible employees.

Officials said the starting pay for a teacher at the county schools is $38,628, compared to over $40,000 for Cleveland and Bradley County and over $44,000 in Nashville.

Supt. Bryan Johnson said over $24 million was spent for capital needs over the past two years. He said the upcoming budget includes $3 million for that category.

Ms. Thurman said instead of the raises, the schools should give bloc grants to the individual schools so they could make needed repairs and have funds so that parents do not have to be charged fees.

Board member Joe Smith said he agrees that teachers are underpaid, but he said, "In my 25 years at the YMCA, I did not get raises like these."

He said combining a two percent hike with a step increase of one to one and a half percent "is a pretty good raise."

Karitsa Mosley Jones said the step increases are mandated through talks with the teachers union. She said the teachers "are with our children all day."

Another board member, Joe Galloway, said items like higher health insurance costs can swallow up a raise for a teacher.

Last year's base school budget was $372.6 million. Officials said the starting point this year is $371.6 million. The preliminary revenue projection is $385.4 million. Christie Jordan, finance director, said that includes some PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) funds school officials were not aware of until told by Trustee Bill Hullander.

Officials said $1.4 million is for safety, security and student support. That includes $484,977 for visitor management systems and controlled access doors, $420,000 for seven school counselors, and $250,000 for additional School Resource Officers.

There will also be seven new arts teachers and seven new English as a Second Language instructors.

It is also planned to provide each student in the district with their own computer device.

Officials said there is also a move from traditional textbooks to online textbooks.

A move toward "Future Ready Institutes" will cost $2.7 million. It involves individualized instruction, digital instructional materials and the 9,000 new computer devices.

Officials set aside $135,000 for a new teacher academy.

To work toward an "engaged community" there will be $300,000 spent on five family engagement coordinators to support community schools in each newly established learning communities. Learning Communities include East Hamilton, East Ridge and Tyner, Hixson, Sale Creek and Soddy Daisy, Lookout Valley, Red Bank and Signal Mountain, Central and Ooltewah, and Brainerd, Howard and the Opportunity Zone.


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