Director Makes Appeal for Passage of School Budget with Pay Raises for Staff

May 29, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

No decision yet!

The county budget committee listened Tuesday night as Director of Schools Patrick Cripps made his case on behalf of the board of education for passage of the proposed 2024-25 school budget but the committee adjourned without taking any action on the spending plan which includes pay raises for educators and support staff based on years of service. The cost of the pay raises with matching benefits, according to Cripps comes to $1.72 million dollars. Although the state has not given the school district a definite figure yet, Cripps said the total budget for schools, with local, state, and federal dollars, is expected to be over $33.5 million not including grants, which is more than the $30.4 million school budget for 2023-24.

Twenty-three people including mostly teachers, central office staff, and school board members, attended Tuesday night’s budget committee meeting but only one of them spoke during the public comment period, 28-year educator Lisa Mabe, a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary School, who asked the committee to help teachers get more pay.

Another budget committee meeting will soon be held for an up or down vote on the proposed school budget. If its accepted, the budget will be forwarded to the full county commission for final approval with passage of the consolidated budget this summer. If the budget committee votes against the school spending plan, it will be sent back to the board of education for revision and re-submission to the committee.

According to the proposed school budget, as adopted by the board of education earlier this month, a $2,000 pay increase would go to school employees with up to 9 years of service (155 employees); $5,000 for those with 10-19 years (104 employees); and $6,000 to staff with 20 or more years (108 employees).

Unlike previous years when the school board absorbed the increased costs of pay hikes from the school budget’s almost $10 million fund balance reserves, this time Cripps and the board are asking the county to ante up extra money to help fund the raises. Without another funding source, a significant increase in the property tax rate would most likely be required to fund the pay raises as requested.

“I think we as a board have shown in the past that we have been very good with the money. We have not gone out and just spent unwisely,” said Director Cripps. “I know everybody in this county has needs but we have them too. We want the very best for our kids and to get that we have to put the best people in front of your kids,” said Director Cripps.

Currently, a total of 0.5298 cents of the county’s $2.00 property tax rate per $100 of assessed value goes to help fund the DeKalb County School District. That equates to around $62,000 per one cent of the tax levy.

Cripps explained to the budget committee that while starting pay for local teachers at $50,000 per year is among the highest in the state, DeKalb County lags behind in pay for veteran teachers. Because of that, Cripps said several local teachers have left to take jobs elsewhere like the Rutherford County school district where they can earn more money. The proposed pay increases in this budget Cripps explained would “get that back end pay up to where we are at least competing with counties surrounding us”.

“A couple of years ago the state mandated that in the year 2026 all starting salaries for teachers had to be at $50,000. We are at that point currently. We are in the top seven for starting salaries,” said Director Cripps. “But when you look at back end pay for our educators, those with 20 plus years, we are ranked at 70th in the state. I know some say DeKalb can’t be compared to Rutherford or Wilson County, but I say, in a way, you can compare. I know our penny (tax rate) isn’t the same as theirs, but we (DeKalb) are above them in starting out teacher pay,” said Cripps.

“Starting teacher pay right now is about $50,200 but a teacher with 20 plus years of experience is at about $59,000. There is a shortage of teachers across the state and what we are seeing is the days of keeping home grown teachers here is about over. Everybody is now going after their top five. What that means is when a teacher gets to look at their retirement they look at their highest five years of consecutive employment. When you look at Rutherford County, a person with an Eds and 20 plus years makes $86,000. We (DeKalb) are way short of that at $66,000. We are battling keeping our experienced teachers with us, those that can groom the new teachers. What we are now seeing is we are getting new teachers but losing back end (veteran) teachers. What we did with our budget this year is to stair step it so we can start increasing that back end pay because after 19 years on our pay scale there are no more pay raises for teachers or 10 years for non-certified personnel unless it comes from the county,” said Cripps.

Other proposed school budget notes:

Director Cripps said funds are included for more special education teachers, another physical education teacher at DeKalb West School, starting a new volleyball program at the high school with supplement pay for a head coach and assistant, purchasing additional 1:1 device computers for students (previously funded from federal ESSER allocations), and for capital outlay projects, plans are to purchase new bleachers for the soccer program and new lights at the baseball field.

Budget committee member Tony (Cully) Culwell thanked the school board, teachers and central office staff for showing up at the meeting Tuesday night and he urged the school board to join the county commission in finding common ground in meeting present and future needs.

“I don’t have a problem giving you all a raise because you deserve it. What gets me is we (county commission) came in good faith to the school board in October and asked for $2 million to build an elementary school and to get that started without costing taxpayers a dime but the exact words that came out of the school board were we can’t do that because we give that money to teachers for pay raises. That’s what I have a problem with. But I will give you all a raise because I have grandkids that is fixing to start elementary school,” said Culwell.

“I don’t know what has happened in the past between the school board and county commission but in good faith it stops tonight. We have to work together as a community. Not the school board. Not the county. Not the city. We all have to work together because this county is growing, and teachers are leaving and going to other towns. We have to strive to go forward. I want to do anything to help this school board because I’m all about DeKalb County. Teachers are doing an excellent job with what they have to work with,” said Culwell.

During the public comment period, educator Lisa Mabe said there is too must disparity locally in teacher pay.

“This is my 28th year and I make $56,000 per year,” said Mabe. “The new hires are making $50,000 and they deserve every penny of it. I could go somewhere else, but I don’t really want to because this is my home,” said Mabe.

“(Another teacher) and I teach together. We are 10 years apart in teaching. In two years, she will make more than me and we’re 10 years apart. I love her to death, and she deserves every dime she is making but that is not fair. I know this is not anybody’s fault but help me out here”.

Mabe said she is also concerned about the number of her fellow teachers who are leaving the local school system for better paying positions elsewhere.

“My own kids have gone through school and both of them have been in the top of their class. My daughter just graduated this year 10th in her class but we are losing the educators that taught them,” explained Mabe. “They have had wonderful teachers, but I can’t tell you how many of them have walked away because Murfreesboro is contacting them asking what we can do to get you here. We lost another great teacher this year. She had my children in class, and I saw what she did for them. When she was here, she taught LEAPS and the math academy. She is going to Murfreesboro now to make $19,000 more and they are going to pay more of her insurance, and she doesn’t have to teach LEAPS. I know they draw more tax money in Murfreesboro and it’s a larger county, but we are dealing with the same kids they are dealing with. Kids are not different from county to county. We are one of the poorest counties. I know that but something has got to change. These kids are our future,” she said.

Mabe also addressed the challenges of teaching today and what she does personally for students going above and beyond her duties.

“I have five kids that I take to get school clothes. I put food in their backpacks plus the backpack program. I have taken five of my students twice this year to get them winter clothes and I will take them again before school starts even though they are not going to be in my class. I have a little boy who I was putting a rubber band around the soles of his shoes. I told his parents he should have new shoes, but the child said they smoke, drink, and vape. That’s not the 8-year olds’ fault,” Mabe continued.

“I am a third-grade teacher and I have that third-grade state retention law looking at me. I have five students in summer school now and it’s not because they don’t want to learn. A lot of them are students that have just come to this country. Students I have from Honduras, they tell me they have to learn because they can’t go back to where they came from. They are on a first-grade level now. They have just started reading for me, but they came knowing nothing. I am teaching from kids that are gifted in my classroom to kids that know zero English. It is our responsibility to take care of them,” said Mabe.

Meanwhile, Road Supervisor Danny Hale presented his proposed 2024-25 spending plan to the budget committee. No action was taken although Hale is not making any additional requests for expenditures other than two or three budget line-item increases.

May 28, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A man charged with stealing more than $5,600 in electricity from Caney Fork Electric Cooperative almost three years ago appeared for sentencing in DeKalb County Criminal Court Tuesday, May 28.

50-year-old Shawn Edward Soales entered a plea to theft of services over $2,500 and received a two-year TDOC sentence on supervised probation. He was ordered to make restitution of $5,601 to Caney Fork Electric Cooperative.

Soales was arrested in October, 2021 after it was discovered that he had created an electrical bypass which allowed him to have use of electric power without being charged for it.

The charge against him alleged that “on October 11 Soales altered and tampered with electrical wires established by Caney Fork Electric Cooperative to obtain and divert those services for his own benefit. Soales altered the wires to bypass the meter used to measure the amount of electricity used at his residence therefore bypassing any billing. Caney Fork Electric Cooperative showed this residence as a vacant account since February 21, 2020 and the estimated amount owed is $5,601,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old John Phillip Petrone, Jr. entered a plea to burglary and received a two-year TDOC sentence on supervised probation but was given jail credit of 46 days. He must make restitution of $715 jointly and severally with a co-defendant in the case.

33-year-old Kieran Walker entered a plea by criminal information to possession of a schedule II drug (methamphetamine) under 0.5 grams and received a six-year sentence all suspended to supervised probation. He was fined $2,000 and given 52 days jail credit.

May 28, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Need some minor fix up, cleanup projects done around your home?

The Smithville Church of Christ Work Camp may be able to help. This event is set for June 10-13. The work camp is an annual home rehabilitation and beautification effort organized by the Smithville Church of Christ. The church started the work camp 12 years ago as a means of helping less fortunate residents of the county.

“The week of June 10-13 is when we will have the work camp. We are doing this on behalf of the church. We are trying to show Christ’s love through this while promoting the Smithville Church of Christ but you don’t have to be a member of the church for us to help you,” said spokesperson Casey Midgett.

“All the application forms are out at the local banks. You can stop by any bank and pick up a form or you can go by our church location and get a form. Just get the forms back in by June 1,” said Midgett.

During the week of the work camp, members of the church load up on church vans and head to the homes of residents to perform a variety of tasks.

The work camp is primarily for those who own their homes and are in most need of help.

“Its based-on need but even If you have the means to do it and can’t because you’re too feeble we can help. The skilled crew will build handicapped ramps and help make light repairs to people’s houses that need it. The unskilled crew will go out and cut brush out of people’s yards, clean their gutters, pressure wash their houses and things like that,” said Midgett.

“Its for people who own their homes. We’re iffy about improving rental houses. If you own your home, you are eligible to talk to us about it. There are certain cases where we have done rental homes before but its very tough for us to do that,” Midgett explained.

“A lot of times people are reluctant to ask for help,” said spokesperson Chad Colwell. “People need to get past that. If you need assistance give us a call and we’ll look at it”.

Getting around to all those who apply sometimes depends on logistics.

“For example, if we get 80 applicants we may have to select. If we have more homes in a specific area its more feasible for us to get to those, than one house here or there. It’s a schedule that is ever changing. Sometimes when you are working on a yard there are unseen challenges that will extend your time. If you allot an hour to be there and it takes three hours then that’s a domino effect for the rest of the day,” said Colwell.

“We never give them a specific day when we will show up. We just say it will be June 10-13,” added Midgett.

The Smithville Work Camp concentrates its efforts in the Smithville-DeKalb County area. If you would like to have your home considered for the project, contact the church at 615-597-4159 by Saturday, June 1 to acquire an application and release form. The church is located at 520 Dry Creek Road, Smithville.

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