Latest news with #CMSBoardofEducation
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CMS $1.95B budget aims to increase teacher pay, improve literacy
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill has proposed a new budget that aims to raise the minimum teacher salary to $50,000, but it comes at the cost of not filling 40 positions. The proposed budget for the next school year amounts to $1.95 billion, which is less than a percent increase from last year's budget. It prioritizes improving literacy, math performance, and post-graduation readiness while ensuring fiscal responsibility. 'While this budget is certainly tight, I believe that this recommendation reflects a balanced approach,' said Superintendent Crystal Hill. The budget proposal assumes a 3% increase in state-funded salaries, and CMS is closely monitoring state legislative actions. House Bill 192 suggests a 22% salary increase over two years, while Governor Stein's budget proposal includes a 10.6% increase. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Teacher says subs are getting overlooked in proposed CMS budget Kelly Kluttz, CMS Chief Financial Officer, noted that both state proposals would raise the minimum state teacher salary to $50,000, which would enhance recruitment and retention efforts. To manage costs, CMS plans to save $3.4 million by not filling 40 positions and an additional $3.8 million by repurposing central office resources. These savings will help enhance pay for assistant principals, specialists, and the professional development platform. Beth Thompson, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, stated, 'We've taken those dollars and are contributing it toward other things in the district.' Superintendent Hill emphasized that the goal is to maintain the student experience without impacting the workforce, stating, 'So any cut that we've made, students will not feel it, families will not feel it.' The CMS Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget on April 8th, with a vote scheduled for April 22nd. The proposed budget aims to balance fiscal responsibility with the district's educational goals. VIDEO: Teacher says subs are getting overlooked in proposed CMS budget
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools considering bonuses of up to $15,000 for some teachers
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is trying to make the most of a tight budget next year as it seeks to retain and recruit top educators. The budget may include a potentially controversial new incentive: performance-based bonuses of up to $15,000 for math teachers at some high schools. The move is in line with the CMS Board of Education's goal to increase scores in Math I. Though, it's being debated as the district projects shortfalls in local, state and federal funding sources. 'The Math I Excellence Bonus is an incentive designed to increase the quality of math instruction and reward educators who demonstrate excellence in teaching,' CMS executive director of federal programs Elenia Daniels said at Tuesday's board meeting. 'This bonus is for teachers who have demonstrated the ability to move the needle in terms of student outcomes.' The district wants to increase the proportion of students scoring in the highest rung of achievement on state exams in Math I from 27% in 2023 to 57% in 2029. CMS projects 32% of students will score in that category this year. The new bonus program would target the district's 14 high schools that receive federal Title I funding — schools with a high number of economically disadvantaged students. It would be paid for with Title I funds. In total, it could apply to 32 educators and 960 total students at the 14 schools. The maximum bonus would be around $15,000. Leaders didn't rule out expanding the program down the line, however. 'We're thinking about this as a pilot program to see if we could get a return on our investment,' said CMS Chief Financial Officer Kelly Kluttz. 'If we did see that return on investment, then next year we would look at the budget to see if we could duplicate that in non-Title I schools.' Only teachers with four or more years of teaching experience, two or more years of high progress in student outcomes and a principal recommendation would qualify for the bonus, Daniels said Tuesday. The district still plans on asking the county for additional funding to increase pay for each of the district's educators in its next budget. Some teachers and former educators, including CMS board member Melissa Easley, worry a bonus only for teachers of one subject could cause tension and affect morale among other educators in the district without the same opportunity for additional pay. 'The state does math and language arts bonuses for teachers, but an unintended consequence of that is it pits teachers against one another and creates animosity in the schools. If you have a principal, for example, who doesn't care for you personally, then they're not going to recommend you,' Easley said. 'I want to make sure that we have an even playing field and we aren't pitting teachers against each other for a financial bonus that they each so desperately need.' Teacher pay in North Carolina is set by the state, with a base salary schedule applied to all educators, regardless of the cost of living in their district. This year, for example, starting teachers in North Carolina made a base salary of $41,000, dropping the state to 41st nationally. School districts add a supplement to base teacher salaries from the state, in large part, to compete with other districts for the best talent. Money for that comes from the county. This school year, for example, beginning teachers in CMS made a supplement of $7,636, bringing the salary for a beginning teacher in the district to $48,636. Meanwhile, in neighboring South Carolina, starting teachers are making a minimum of $50,000 this year in Fort Mill School District, for example. Mecklenburg County presents the added challenge of a higher cost of living than many areas of the state. The current estimated living wage in Mecklenburg County is just over $55,000, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Living Wage Calculator. CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill hasn't made her official budget recommendation to the board of education yet, but she's previously said she plans to recommend increasing average teacher supplements by 5% — an average of $10,801 during the 2025-26 school year. The district projects around a 3% pay raise for teachers from the state. 'Our budget for this year is tight….but if our assumptions hold true, we will be in really good financial standing,' Kluttz said. The elephant in the room is a $73 million one. That's how much Title I funding CMS currently is allotted. However, CMS leaders say, under the Trump administration, funding could be in jeopardy. CMS also receives just over $10 million and $5 million in federal Title II and III grants, respectively. 'We believe these funds may be more at-risk than other federal funds,' said Kluttz. In total, over 8% of the district's budget comes from federal funding, and over 10% of district employees are paid using federal dollars. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees the administration of education grants like Title I, II and III, announced Tuesday that it would be laying off 1,300 of its around 4,000 total staff. Kluttz said while this potential bonus would be affected by the loss of federal funding, if Title I goes away, the district will have larger issues to address. 'If the Title I budget was cut, we would have significantly larger problems than this bonus that we would have to deal with in a structured way and determine what's best for our district at that time,' Kluttz said. CMS already learned that three other grants totaling over $6 million for teacher professional development initiatives had been cut Feb. 18. Kluttz says the district is in the process of appealing those terminations. The superintendent won't present her official budget recommendation to the board until March 25. The board will vote on it April 22.
