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Board approves salary increases, St. Charles funding in FY 2016
The Board of Education approved its
fiscal year 2016 budget Monday night, providing salary increases for employees
and funding the addition of a senior class at St. Charles High School.
The Board’s FY2016 operating budget
is $334.2 million, reflecting a $6.8 million increase or 2.1 percent more than
FY2015. The county provided an additional $4.2 million and state funding
increased $640,512. To pay for mandatory cost shortages, the school system
moved $5.2 million from the fund balance to the general fund and cut nearly
$7.4 million from budget categories including lapsed salaries, technology
replacement reserves and utilities. The school system is using the fund balance
for general operations and to complete one-time maintenance projects, such as
carpet replacements and school playgrounds.
“We value our employees and providing
compensation was our first priority. This is an investment in our people who we
expect to provide educational access, equity and excellence while making a
difference in the lives of children each day. It’s important that we remain
competitive so we are able to hire the best new teachers as well as retain our
experienced staff,” Superintendent Kimberly Hill said.
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS)
employees are two steps/levels behind on the salary schedule. Salary step and
levels are incremental increases in salary based on previous qualifying
professional experience. The last time the school system gave an
across-the-board cost-of-living (COLA) increase was 2009.
Pending approval of the school
system’s two employee groups, the Education Association of Charles County
(EACC) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), all eligible employees will receive a step/level increase. The budget
funds a 2 percent COLA for certificated employees at levels 20 or 10, depending
on the assigned salary scale. The budget includes a 1 percent COLA for support
staff in steps 17 and above.
In addition to salary and the St.
Charles opening, other mandated increases include the teachers’ pension,
Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) insurance premium, athletic
trainers, bus contracts and Project Lead the Way (PLTW). There will be 24 staff
members and additional supplies and materials added to St. Charles High School,
which are critical to adding a senior class of more than 300 students.
Also affecting the budget is the
increased cost of health insurance. To offset increases, the school system and
unions agreed to raise health insurance copays for office visits and
prescriptions by $5 and emergency room visits by $75, unless admitted. The
change is anticipated to save the system $500,000.
Hill said staff worked to avoid
program and staffing cuts while making budget reductions. Funding the increases
requires reducing an additional $7.4 million beyond state and county funding
levels. Savings came from lapsed salaries and FICA targets, increasing health
insurance copays, decreasing classified pension plan funding, and eliminating
reserve budgets for unanticipated expenditures in programs, technology and
utilities.
The FY2016 budget increases the per
pupil operating cost to $13,104.
“This budget does not reduce or
eliminate successful programs or school improvements. This is a budget that
will help us maintain our academic success and provide strong support to the
classroom, our students and our staff,” Hill said.
A copy of the Board’s approved fiscal
year 2016 budget summary is available at http://www.ccboe.com/aboutus/boe/budget.php.
