The Shadow
The Covington School Board has decided not to adjust its budget to give veteran teachers and employees a pay increase.
The decision was made public at a Monday night school board meeting.
“The budget is set. The decisions were made. We stand by those decisions,” said Bert Baker, chairman of the school board.
The school board’s budget took effect July 1. It provided pay increases averaging 5 percent.
But not all employees received a raise. Employees at the top of the pay scale did not get a raise. Raises were given to employees at the bottom and middle of the scales. Those at the bottom of the scales received the largest increase.
Since June, representatives for teachers at the top of the salary scale have been asking the school board to reconsider. The salary freeze affected 14 teachers.
Monday, Baker said that in keeping with its promise to concerned teachers, the board did reconsider its decision. However, the board decided to leave its salary adjustments in place, he said.
Nonetheless, Baker said the school board may consider providing stipends in the future. That will depend on finances, he said.
“As we are able to possibly identify those funds, we can address that,” Baker said.
As Covington schools and Alleghany County schools prepare to merge on July 1, 2022, the school board is in talks with county officials about an unused sick leave policy for employees.
Currently, Covington schools pay retiring employees a higher rate for unused sick days than county schools.
“This has been a grave concern among our employees,” said Darlene Lambert, human resources coordinator for Covington schools.
Talks are in the preliminary stages of formulating a plan. Lambert said early discussions have focused on Covington school employees retaining their unused sick day benefits when the merger occurs. County school employees would also retain their benefits, based on the current county policy.
Talks to facilitate the merger are continuing, but the Covington School Board continues to evaluate its strategic plan for 2018-2023.
Superintendent Melinda Snead-Johnson said the plan is evaluated monthly to see if its goals and objectives are being met.
“It was hard last year because it was not a typical year, the superintendent said in reference to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school board gave its support for Snead-Johnson’s three-tiered approach for the opening schools on Aug. 25.
Measures in each tier are based on the level of COVID-19 in the community.
“Our community is at a high-transmission rate right now,” Snead-Johnson said.
Schools will open under Tier 1 of Snead-Johnson’s plan. Students will be kept three feet apart and masks will be required for all persons on buses. Masks on buses are mandated by federal law.
The school board has not decided if masks will be required in school buildings.
Snead-Johnson said schools will adhere to health protocols under Tier 1 and buildings will be “rigorously” cleaned and disinfected.
If the spread of COVID-19 worsens in the community, mitigation measures under Tiers II and III will grow more stringent.
Tier III calls for schools to be placed under full mitigation. Occupancy on buses would be limited, staff and students would be required to undergo temperature checks each day, and no visitors would be allowed in schools.
Schools will open under a plan that calls for students to be in classes five days a week. Parents are being given an option to have their children remotely attend classes online. Snead-Johnson said there has been no interest in that option.
In other business Monday, Snead-Johnson said The Alleghany Foundation has approved a $313,543 grant for the hiring of a communications specialist for Covington and Alleghany County schools.
The specialist will work for both school divisions until they merge next year.
Snead-Johnson said the grant funds the position through July 31, 2024. She is hopeful the job will be filled by October.
The grant covers salary, benefits and office supplies.
