New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 29, 2024

Charles City superintendent recommends $6.8 million in local funding for FY2021-22 operating budget

By Robb Johnson | January 22, 2021 9:26 am

With theme core values and principles that include learning, integrity, growth, and collaboration, Charles City County Superintendent of Schools Dalphine Joppy proposed a $6,843,772 operating budget for the FY2021-22 school year during the Jan. 21 special meeting.

While looking at ways to enhance programs at the school, the primary focus on the recommended increase focused on providing raises to several employees of the school system.

Joppy’s first recommendation came in the form of increasing minimum wage for hourly employees. The wage would begin before the end of this fiscal year and go up to $9.50/hr. From there, increases would be seen in four of the next five years beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. The plan hopes to have hourly employees at a minimum wage of $15.00/hr. by 2026. The proposal follows guidelines set forth by Virginia’s General Assembly.

The superintendent is also looking for significant increases to teacher pay scales and providing them raises. Joppy is recommending that new teachers entering the school system start with a base salary of $43,071, nearly $3,000 more than what they would currently receive. Current teacher staff would see a raise of 7.2 percent, amounting to an additional $2,902 per teacher.

Instructional assistants are also being targeted for a raise. Currently, the instructional assistants are making $12,618. Joppy is proposing a nearly $6,000 increase, upping their salaries to $18,414.

Additional factors that are looking into the requested increase by Joppy include the hiring of two special education assistants, one special education teacher, one mechanic, and one part-time Medicaid billing specialist.

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) will see a minimum request according to figures presented by Joppy. With an energy contract in place, many of the big projects totaling $4,676,893 will be address through it. The school system is requesting $531,362 in CIP projects. Of that amount, $250,926 will be used to pay the lease of the financing agreement. Of the remaining $280,436, the schools would spend $120,000 on new school buses and $130,356 with technology upgrades.

School officials are slated to meet with the county’s school board on Jan. 26 prior to the board of supervisors regular scheduled meeting. A public hearing and work session on the school’s budget is scheduled for Feb. 1.