In what was a spirited Thursday night discussion and debate, the Christian County Public Schools Board of Education passed, 3-2, an across-the-board step and 3% overall raise for all certified and classified employees beginning July 1 — with specific personnel receiving different improved concessions.
Costing the district nearly $2.3 million annually from this point forward, the salary spikes can be broken down into two facets. According to Director of Finance Jessica Darnell, $1.5 million can be attributed to the 3%. The remaining $750,000, however, includes a litany of what she and Superintendent Chris Bentzel called “long overdue” liturgy.
It would add department head chairs at each high school for agriculture, business and family consumer science, and increase department head stipends from $835 to $1,500.
It would add 10 extended days to school psychologists, due to increased demand.
It would add an athletic trainer position, with 53 extended days.
It would add a $2,000 stipend for Speech Language Pathologists with ASHA certification.
It would realign for a new position created: High School Consolidation Coordinator.
It would change elementary indexed salary and base it on enrollment at the school.
And it would provide a 40% increase for coaching stipends in all sports.
District 3 representative Lindsey Clark and District 4 representative Mike Walker cast “nay” votes. They both agreed that a 3% increase was not only necessary, but worth approval.
The extra $750,000, however, had both concerned — particularly with consolidation approaching.
Clark wanted more time.
Walker sought more understanding of the stipends.
Darnell and Bentzel ran through a number of reasons why the $2.2 million salary boost, in its entirety, was justifiable. An expected increase of SEEK funding, estimated at nearly $2 million, would all but absorb the cost. Just last year, Bentzel said the district received a bare minimum of 1%, and that this discussion had been in committee for more than a year.
An athletics budget cut in 2012-13 was cited, as were competitive starting salaries not just in the private and public sector, but within the Fort Campbell and Montgomery County school districts.
Director of Personnel Anita Hopson noted the decision for college graduates can sometimes be an easy one.
Bentzel said he understood the athletic increase concerns, but assured those would course correct in the consolidation, and that the staffs were underpaid now.
District 2 representative Tiffany Mumford Brame brought forth an incendiary defense of the entire proposal — noting she was “a little embarrassed” to sit on the board in this moment.
District 5 representative and board chair Tom Bell broke the tie vote.
The approval came an hour after the board unanimously approved a tentative budget for next year, which is due to the Kentucky Department of Education by May 30, and a KRS-mandated notification to staff of salary estimates by June 10.
