Raises of 2 to 7.2 percent will come in two phases

By Ryan Kushner

Staff writer

Salary bumps are on the horizon for teachers in Isle of Wight County Schools.

With a newly adopted teacher pay scale, all instructors within the division will receive between a 2 percent and 7.2 percent raise, set to go into full effect next year.

Half of the raise will begin this year for instructors, according to Superintendent Dr. Jim Thornton, with the full amount scheduled to be implemented in February.  

 

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The revised pay scale was approved at a special School Board meeting Friday, the second this month, during which the Board spent more than two hours in closed session.

Hardy District Representative Alvin Wilson and Windsor District Representative Julia Perkins were not present during the special meeting.

“You hear a lot of teachers don’t get raises. I mean, this is what you hear from the community,” said Smithfield District Representative Kirstin Cook.

“I think it’s important for them to know that we are working hard at our salary scale and we do value our teachers.”

Cook added that the Board looks at neighboring counties when adjusting salaries for the division’s teachers.

“We know where our teachers are ranking, and their pay is very competitive,” said Cook.

Prior to this month’s regularly scheduled School Board meeting, Thornton requested a roughly $18,000 a year raise, as well as $5,000 in deferred earnings in his contract, which is up for renewal next summer.

School Board Vice-Chair and Newport District Representative Vicky Hulick and Cook both declined to confirm whether the Board had come to any agreement with Thornton yet.

“That’s nothing public yet,” said Cook when asked if the Board had come to any agreements with Thornton about the contract.

“We’re still negotiating,” said Hulick.

Thornton makes $145,000 annually in his current contract, in addition to a car, computer, iPad and up to $10,000 a year for professional development.

All School Board members have acknowledged that they would not oppose a raise of some sort for the superintendent.

During Friday’s meeting, the School Board also accepted the lowest of two bids to construct a new collaboration space, cosmetology lab and greenhouse at Windsor High School, projects which are scheduled to be completed by Sept. 17.

A.R. Chesson Construction was awarded the contract for $687,232, roughly $142,000 of which will be paid for using the furniture fund for next year’s budget, according to Thornton.

The rest will be covered using a $7.9 million loan from the county, which the division plans to pay back annually with money previously used to pay for courses at the Pruden Center for Industry and Technology.

The renovation is part of a large high school redesign plan proposed by Thornton earlier this year, which includes an influx of new Career and Technical Education courses at Windsor and Smithfield high schools.   {/mprestriction}