Director of Schools Admonishes Community To Help Ensure Safety of Students

February 27, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

In light of recent rumors of social media threats against local schools and now a teen having been charged in a juvenile petition with making a social media threat toward a teacher, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps has issued the following statement to students, families, employees, and citizens of DeKalb County to help ease concerns.

“The DeKalb County School System would like to remind all families of DeKalb County that the safety of our students is of the utmost concern and we are asking for your help to ensure all students remain safe.

We know that emotions are running high and any rumor about potential violence can be of great concern for parents and students. While we expect students to report any threats they may hear about, please remind your children that repeating rumors to their classmates that are unverified does nothing but create unnecessary panic and stress. Any and all concerns about possible threats should be reported to an adult, and not shared between students. Sharing of unfounded threats continues to create a great deal of anxiety among students and parents.

Please know the safety of our students and staff members is our top priority. We will continue to investigate any reports that are made and will keep our local law enforcement agencies involved as well. If any threat is deemed credible at any time, we will immediately take action to protect our students and staff members. DeKalb County schools, along with other districts in Tennessee and across the country, are being inundated with reports of potential safety concerns. As we move through this time of heightened concern and distress with regard to school safety, it is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of students, staff and their families in every school in the country want their schools to be safe places where teaching and learning take place. We call upon every person in DeKalb County to help our students feel safe and cared for by reporting concerns promptly, not sharing misinformation, and by taking the time to build supportive relationships with one another.

Thank you for trusting us to keep your students safe,” wrote Director Cripps.

(CLICK LINK BELOW FOR COMMUNITY CALENDAR, CHURCH NEWS, CLASSIFIEDS AND MORE)http://www.wjle.com/community

February 27, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

Josh Isaac is the new Director of the Mike Foster Multi Purpose Center (DeKalb County Complex).

The county commission Monday night unanimously voted to accept the recommendation of the parks and recreation committee to hire Isaac.

As a county employee, he will work 40 hours a week and be paid according to the new wage scale with a starting salary of $26,785. He will have assistants working with him.

Isaac was one of twelve persons who applied for the position. Two of them later dropped out leaving ten who were interviewed for the job by the committee.

“The committee as a whole recommended Josh. He has what we felt like were the best ideas as far as going forward with things that draw people in to benefit more senior citizens, children, and everyone involved. We think he is going to do a great job,” said county commissioner Jonathan Norris and member of the parks and recreation committee.

Isaac comes to the complex from DeKalb Middle School where he served as a teacher’s assistant. He also produces plays and works with youth.

“Please keep me in your prayers as I start this new journey. I am excited to get in there and make a difference and change the culture of DeKalb in a whole new way. I have some great ideas and I am asking for your support and readiness to try new things. I truly believe we can make the Complex THE place to go for everything. Give me a couple months to get everything started and come by and see me and share your ideas any time,” said Isaac on his Facebook post.

Job responsibilities of the director are as follows:
*Overseeing all daily activities, finance and scheduling
*Preparing yearly budget
*Making daily deposits
*Coordinating activities for the county complex
*Booking & renting rooms
*Planning activities for all ages
*Keeping records for complex (attendance, finance)
*Supervising games, events, activities, etc.
*Being responsible for inventory of property
*Working irregular hours, including nights and weekends
*Being responsible for booking classes and getting volunteers to assist with programs
*Scheduling and overseeing employees and volunteers to assist with programs
*Possess solid computer and people skills
*Be willing to attend training for First Aid, CPR, and perhaps First Responder Classes

The county complex is open 12 hours a day, six days per week.

February 27, 2018
By: Dwayne Page

The county commission adopted pay raises for county general employees during Monday night’s meeting according to new 13 tier wage scales. Sheriff’s department staff will get pay raises under a new six tier scale. The pay raises are retroactive to January 1, 2018.

Under the plan, employees of the offices of County Mayor, Trustee, Register of Deeds, County Clerk, Assessor of Property, Circuit Court Clerk, and Clerk and Master will get step raises at a percentage of $68,682 per year, which is what all these public officials earn except for the county mayor. However, unlike the previous wage scale, the employees of the county mayor’s office will not be paid at a percentage of his salary going forward but on the same terms as the other employees with one exception. One employee of the county mayor’s office is already being paid above her tier on the new wage scale but she will not get another raise until she qualifies under the new plan. Also unlike the former wage scale, salaries of all employees will not automatically increase when their employer gets a raise by the state.

Under the former wage scale, employees of these offices were paid at a percentage of $65,221 except for the office of County Mayor whose employees were paid at a percentage of $75,329.

With the new scale, employees of all these offices will be paid at a percentage of $68,682 as follows:

STEP 1: 39% or $26,785:1 year of service
STEP 2: 40% or $27,472:2 years of service
STEP 3: 41% or $28,159:3 years of service
STEP 4: 42% or $28,846:4 years of service
STEP 5: 43% or $29,533: 5 years of service
STEP 6: 44% or $30,220: 6 years of service
STEP 7: 45% or $30,906: 7 years of service
STEP 8: 46% or $31,593: 8 & 9 years of service
STEP 9: 47% or $32,280: 10 & 11 years of service
STEP 10: 48% or $32,967: 12 & 13 years of service
STEP 11: 49% or $33,654: 14 to 16 years of service
STEP 12: 50% or $34,341: 17 to 19 years of service
STEP 13: 51% or $35,027: 20 or more years of service

Meanwhile the Library Director, Election Commission Administrator’s Assistant, and Soil Conservation Secretary will be on the same scale (as noted above) with their salaries being a percentage of $68,682 which is what the Trustee, Register of Deeds, County Clerk, Assessor of Property, Circuit Court Clerk, and Clerk and Master earn.

Full time library employees and the Senior Citizens Director will get a percentage of $68,682 based on the following scale for them:

STEP 1: 31% or $21,291:1 year of service
STEP 2: 32% or $21,978: 2 years of service
STEP 3: 33% or $22,665: 3 years of service
STEP 4: 34% or $23,351: 4 years of service
STEP 5: 35% or $24,038: 5 years of service
STEP 6: 36% or $24,725: 6 years of service
STEP 7: 37% or $25,412: 7 years of service
STEP 8: 38% or $26,099: 8 & 9 years of service
STEP 9: 39% or $26,785: 10 & 11 years of service
STEP 10: 40% or $27,472: 12 & 13 years of service
STEP 11: 41% or $28,159: 14 to 16 years of service
STEP 12: 42% or $28,846: 17 to 19 years of service
Step 13: 43% or $29,533: 20 or more years of service

Sheriff’s department staff will get pay raises under a new six tier scale and be paid at a percentage of the sheriff’s salary of $75,550.

According to the new scale, the step raises for the sheriff’s department is as follows:

Chief Deputy (Performance Tiers)
Yearly Pay:
$50,000
$51,350
$52,736
$54,160

Detectives (86 hours per pay period, 2,236 hours yearly)
FIRST TIER: $18.56- $41,500
SECOND TIER: $19.07- $42,640
THIRD TIER: $19.61- $43,847
FOURTH TIER: $20.07- $44,876
FIFTH TIER: $20.59- $46,039
SIXTH TIER: $21.08- $47,134

Sergeants (86 hours per pay period, 2,236 hours yearly)
FIRST TIER: $18.56- $41,500
SECOND TIER: $18.84- $42,126
THIRD TIER: $19.11- $42,729
FOURTH TIER: $19.37- $43,311
FIFTH TIER: $19.66- $43,959
SIXTH TIER: $19.92- $44,541

Deputies (86 hours per pay period, 2,236 hours yearly)
FIRST TIER: $15.72- $35,149
SECOND TIER: $16.41- $36,692
THIRD TIER: $17.11- $38,257
FOURTH TIER: $17.79- $39,778
FIFTH TIER: $18.50- $41,366
SIXTH TIER: $19.17- $42,864

Correctional Officers (86 hours per pay period, 2,236 hours yearly)
FIRST TIER: $14.95- $33,428
SECOND TIER: $15.47- $34,590
THIRD TIER: $16.00- $35,776
FOURTH TIER: $16.53- $36,961
FIFTH TIER: $17.06- $38,146
SIXTH TIER: $17.58- $39,308

Cooks (86 hours per pay period, 2,236 hours yearly)
FIRST TIER: $13.18- $29,470 (39%)
SECOND TIER: $13.52- $30,230 (40%)
THIRD TIER: $13.85- $30,968 (41%)
FOURTH TIER: $14.19- $31,728 (42%)
FIFTH TIER: $14.53- $32,489 (43%)
SIXTH TIER: $14.87- $33,249 (44%)

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