More money for Madison teachers

By Jane DeGeorge
Eagle Reporter
Published: July 10, 2008

Tax hikes will fund school employees’ salary increases this year. 

Part of the additional money collected by Madison County’s four-cent tax rate increase will support an average salary raise of two percent for all public schools staff, according to Superintendent Brenda Tanner.

The county’s recently approved 2008-2009 budget includes an additional $250,000 in new money for the school systems’ current budget – including $55,000 previously set aside for further improvements to the Hoover Ridge athletic fields and for a project to expand the County Administration Center.

School officials had previously requested $975,000 in new money – which would have offered an average salary increase of five percent for all employees.
The requested increase of local money was also to offset decreases in state and federal funding and increases in fuel and electricity costs, school
representatives had said.

Earlier this year, county officials had proposed to “flat line” the school board’s budget, offering the schools the same amount of funding as they received during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

In response to this proposal, the school board had revised its budget to include the same salaries offered to all employees as well as reduce its summer school program and funding for professional development and equipment repair.

Officials had also eliminated one teaching position and transferred an instructional assistant employed at Madison County High School to instead work at Waverly Yowell Elementary School, where the school board had previously proposed to hire an additional instructional assistant, according to Tanner.