Transylvania County commissioners got their first look at a $16 million school budget request last night.
The school board pitched two funding options – both of which would include raises for teachers and staff via the county’s local supplement for education spending. About 30% of the school district’s budget comes from local tax dollars, with another 14% from federal grants. The majority of the district’s budget – about 52% – comes from the state.
The county spends millions of dollars on personnel and operational costs for the schools. This school year, local funding is paying for 122 positions.
The proposed increase to the school budget would supply money for raises for school staff. Currently, the local supplement funds raises of 8.5% for teachers, 4% for administrators, and 9% for staff who have worked in the district for 25 years or more.
Both county funding proposals presented by Superintendent Lisa Fletcher would increase annual pay raises.
The first proposal includes 9% raises for all staff and 9.5% for those who have been employed for 25 years or longer. To do this, county leaders would need to agree to increase Transylvania County schools’ allocation by $846,000 compared to current funding.
The second proposal includes 9.5% raises for all staff and 10% for those employed at least 25 years. This would be a $1 million increase to the current budget.
Fletcher and County Manager Jaime Laughter have been working to improve relations between the two boards amid a tumultuous rollout of a multi-million-dollar bond to pay for large school repair projects. The two boards formed an intergovernmental group aimed at steering the project with input from both county officials and school district leaders.
The scope of the construction project is massive, with 213 separate repair projects spanning more than 11 construction sites – at a cost of more than $90 million.
The first tranche of funds – $50.8 million – was made available late last year. The long-awaited bond money, according to county staff, will fund repairs and replacements the county’s schools desperately need.
