Board Opts for Pay Raises over Bonuses for Teachers and Support Staff

August 10, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The Board of Education has decided to go through with a plan to give local pay raises instead of bonuses to teachers and support staff this year. The board took the action Thursday night during the regular monthly meeting.

The local pay raise comes to $600 per employee including certified and non certified personnel. That is in addition to a $600 pay raise the state is giving each teacher this year.

Concerned that the school system might run over budget this year, the Board of Education last month voted to ask the County Commission to allocate a larger share of local option sales tax money for schools to fund the raises. School Board members said at the time that if the County Commission did not grant the request, they might have to opt for giving bonuses instead of raises.

The County Commission last month approved the new school budget for 2018-19 which included the $600 pay raises but took no action on the Board of Education’s request concerning using the sales tax money to fund them.

“What the question is at this point is whether to give a (local) $600 pay raise or a bonus. The state of Tennessee is giving a $600 pay raise to the teachers. Mr. (Patrick) Cripps has done a great job of cutting down some teacher positions which were unnecessary so that will account for about half the pay raises or bonuses. Hopefully we can come in under budget and there won’t be anything coming out of the reserve account. We had discussed (using) the local option sales tax fund (for the pay raises) but that was basically rejected by the county commission. I think we are all in agreement that we do want to match the state (pay raises) and wish we could do a lot more. Hopefully we can in the future working with the new county commission,” said Board Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III.

Board member Jerry Wayne Johnson made a motion that the $600 pay raises be granted instead of a bonus. Member Danny Parkerson offered a second to the motion. All members voted in favor.

In June the budget committee of the county commission accepted the school board’s proposal including the pay raises with the understanding that there would be no local tax increase to pay for it and that any overspending would have to be covered by cash reserves from the school system’s $6.1 million fund balance.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps said the proposed pay raises would be an additional cost to the school system of from $300,000 to $400,000 per year. However the system will be saving about $200,000 this year by not filling four vacant teaching positions at the schools.

August 10, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Members of the Board of Education said their goodbyes to Jerry Wayne Johnson during the regular monthly meeting Thursday night.

Johnson, who has represented the second district on the school board for the last four years, was defeated in his bid for re-election last week. Thursday night was his last meeting as a member.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps presented a plaque to Johnson in appreciation for his service.

“The plaque says in appreciation to Jerry Wayne Johnson. Thanks for your dedicated service to the students of DeKalb County as a member of the DeKalb County School Board from 2014-2018. Thanks for everything you have done for us in serving our county,” said Director Cripps.

“I would love to thank the people of the second district for giving me the opportunity to serve as your board member. I want to thank the people on the board here. I think we have had a good working relationship. There couldn’t be no finer people to work with than you and I appreciate it. I appreciate all the teachers, central staff, and everybody that has worked with me. I appreciate them all. I want to say God bless you and God bless the DeKalb County School System,” said Johnson.

“Mr. Johnson and I worked together a number of years ago when he and I were on the board the first time before we both got off the board for a little while. I am grateful for both terms we served together and I am much obliged,” said Board Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins III.

Johnson had two stints on the school board. He was first elected in 1992. Back then the terms were for six years and he served until 1998. He ran for the school board again in 2014 and was elected to a four year term.

His successor, Alan Hayes will take office September 1.

By: Dwayne Page

Enrollment in the DeKalb County School System is down by 46 students compared to last year at this time.

Comparing the numbers for the first full week of school, total enrollment from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade district wide is 2,993 as of today (August 9), down from 3,039 last year.

According to Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder, the numbers are down at three of the five schools and up at the other two. “We’re down by 46 students county wide from where we were a year ago. Of course, this is an ever changing number and it will be changing daily from now until probably after Labor Day. Usually it’s the Monday after Labor Day before you get numbers firmed up about who has moved in and moved out,” said Reeder.

As of today (Thursday, August 9), enrollment at each school is as follows compared to last year:

DCHS: 873 (up by 6 students)
DeKalb Middle School: 572 (up by 26 students)
Northside Elementary: 603 (down by 36 students)
Smithville Elementary: 556 (down by 21 students)
DeKalb West School: 389 (down by 20 students)

Enrollment at DCHS breaks down as follows:
9th grade: 226 students ( up by 7)
10th grade: 223 students (up by 7)
11th grade: 213 students (down by 17)
12th grade: 211 students (up by 9)

Enrollment District-Wide by grade level is as follows:
Pre-Kindergarten: 111(SES & DWS combined) (down by 6)
Kindergarten: 212 (SES & DWS combined) (down by 4)
1st grade: 213 (SES & DWS) (down by 17)
2nd grade: 215 (SES, Northside, & DWS) (down by 15)
3rd grade: 230 (Northside & DWS) (up by 26)
4th grade: 198 (Northside & DWS) (down by 41)
5th grade: 242 (Northside & DWS) (down by 14)
6th grade: 252 (DMS & DWS) (up by 27)
7th grade: 231 (DMS & DWS) (up by 7)
8th grade: 216 (DMS & DWS) (down by 15)

Enrollment by School:
DeKalb Middle School:
6th grade: 210 (up by 29)
7th grade: 184 (up by 6)
8th grade: 178 (down by 9)

Northside Elementary:
2nd grade: 51 (down by 3)
3rd grade: 183 (up by 18)
4th grade: 158 (down by 52)
5th grade: 211 (up by 1)

Smithville Elementary:
Pre-K: 96 (same)
Kindergarten: 168 (down by 3)
1st grade: 168 (down by 15)
2nd grade: 123 (down by 5)

DeKalb West School:
Pre-K: 15 (down by 6)
Kindergarten: 43 (down by 2)
1st grade: 45 (down by 2)
2nd grade: 42 (down by 6)
3rd grade: 47 (up by 8)
4th grade: 40 (up by 11)
5th grade: 30 (down by 16)
6th grade: 42 (down by 2)
7th grade: 47 (up by 1)
8th grade: 38 (down by 6)

Reeder urges parents to make sure their children attend school on time every day classes are in session. “Students who miss 18 school days per year-regardless of the cause-will be considered chronically absent under State Department of Education regulations. The number of chronically absent students will also reflect on the overall performance score given to the school system. The state is using a new accountability measure called the Chronically Out-of-School Indicator. Students who miss more than 10 percent of the school year, for any reason, are considered chronically out of school. This would typically be students that miss 18 or more school days out of our 180-day school year calendar,” reported Reeder.

Under state law, if a student misses as few as five days of school “unexcused” he or she is considered “truant”. “We won’t take you to juvenile court for five days missed but we will send a letter to the parents to arrange a meeting with them to see what can be done to improve their child’s attendance,” said Reeder.

Tardies are also a concern, especially early in the morning. “We don’t have a lot of tardies during the day. Its like during first block in the morning when they are getting there a few minutes late. We ask parents bringing their children to school to please arrive on time by 7:45 a.m. because three tardies can equal one unexcused absence,” said Reeder“

Meanwhile, Reeder urges parents who are home schooling their children to contact the school system to let them know.”I wish you would come by and register with us. It helps us to know where they (students) are and what they are doing. Some people withdraw their kids from the school system to home school and we never hear from them again in the following years. Legally, parents are suppose to register but there is really not a penalty if they don’t. It just helps us keep up with where the students are at. Registering is not a big deal. It doesn’t take but five minutes and it would help us out some,” said Reeder.

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