CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are working to give teachers raises, in the form of a five percent increase to their local supplement, to attract and keep educators.
The school district’s chief financial officer tells Queen City News the district needs to do something so that they don’t lose teachers to other counties and to South Carolina.
Mecklenburg County Commissioners will have the final say on teacher raises as part of CMS’ proposed operating budget that’s just under $2 billion.
CMS says its local supplement for teachers is the second highest in the state.
MORE | Parents concerned over special-needs funding as Cabarrus County Schools address $11M budget deficit
“We’re bragging about being in the top three because we have to be, in order to get our teachers to even a livable wage,” said CMS Board of Education member Summer Nunn during a board meeting Tuesday night.
Nunn expressed frustration during the meeting when discussing teacher pay.
“Being the same just isn’t ok, we’re putting more and more on these teachers every day. I know we’re trying to prioritize it, but it stays the same; the reality is they’re getting paid the same and doing more,” said Nunn.
CMS wants teachers to start out making at least $50,000 a year.
They’ve proposed a plan in their budget to give teachers raises.
The district would increase the local supplement by four percent for teachers who have no experience up to 15 years and add another one percent, totaling five percent, for teachers who have been teaching from 16 to 30 years.
QCNEWS.COM
CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS
But CMS Chief Financial Officer Kelly Kluttz says the district also wants the state to raise its starting teacher base pay to give teachers even more of a bump.
“We have to have help from the state, especially since Charlotte-Mecklenburg is on the border with South Carolina, it’s really easy for us to lose teachers to South Carolina,” said Kluttz.
CMS says it doesn’t get a state supplement for teacher salaries at all.
One board member suggested last night that they focus on getting the state to change that to give teachers even more money.
