The Neelyville School Board is grappling with the minimum salary raise for teachers due law changes.
Superintendent Heather Black presented three possible budgets to the board at Tuesday’s monthly meeting.
The first option would raise salaries by 4% and allow enough funds left over for a school resource officer and phone storage for the high school.
The second budget proposed an 8.699% raise but removed funding for the SRO and storage. This is the budget adopted unanimously by the board, with approximately $7.3 million in total spending.
The last option was to fully implement the $40,000 minimum salaries that will be required under Senate Bill 727.
“It’s going to be a major hit,” Black informed the board.
SB727 does not require the full amount until the 2025 school year, but the board wanted to get ahead of the costs.
“It’s going to have to take place through (local) taxes,” board member Paul Petty stated. “I don’t think it could pass.”
He commented a tax levy increase has not passed in the Neelyville School District in over 50 years. While Petty acknowledged the balanced state budget, he said Neelyville’s lack of deficit spending puts it in a unique position as a government organization.
“The raises are needed... but the people putting these restrictions on us from the government are also $35 trillion in debt,” Petty remarked.
Board member Jack Stull said there would need to be budget cuts to afford the new salaries.
“That $40,000 base pay is going to come fast and hard,” Black said.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the second budget with the cutting of the SRO and phone storage lockers.
“It’s best to be aggressive now with the budget,” board member Marco Gavino said.
In anticipation of the need for a tax levy, Petty suggested a community outreach campaign to explain to the public why a raise in taxes is needed.
In other business, the board approved curriculum purchases and a new mission statement for the student handbook. Members also considered additions and modifications to the text of the handbook itself.
Black reported on the results of the district’s bus inspection. The buses received a rating of 68.7 with the state average being in the mid-80s. Black qualified the results with the fact that some buses currently out of service were included in the report.
“Our roads aren’t kind to our buses,” she noted.
Lastly, the board voted to open the bid request for school pictures to companies in Arkansas to get the best price possible. Members voted on all matters unanimously. Gene Russom was not in attendance.
The next board meeting will be held July 18.