Minutes 06/08/1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ t JUNE 8, 1982 TUESDAY reduce the increase in the total budget to $674,000.00 and (will reduce) the increase in the local cost to $193,000.00. City Council, in its action to cut $84,000.00 from the School budget, made no references to teachers' salaries. The subject of salaries was introduced by the School Board in its presentation to Council and by public statements printed after the meeting in the Martinsville Bulletin. I mention this because I am well aware that Council, by law, can not make specific adjustments to the line-by-line budget of the School Board. Worth Carter, the Chairman of the School Board, stated that "teachers' average raises of 12% probably would have to be cut by $100.00-to-$150.00 apiece, and other departments' budgets would have to be trimmed to make up the $84,000." Dr. Jim Calkins, the Superintendent of the City Schools, said that Council's decision was a "disappointment" because teachers have put an awful lot of faith in the School Board and Council. "The more they take out of the hides of personnel, the more effect it will have on morale". During the May 24th meeting of City Council and the School Board, several pertinent questions were left unanswered by the School Board and (by) the School Administration. I think this was unfortunate because the information provided by proper answers to the questions would have helped to explain Council's request to cut $84,000.00 from the School budget. Mr. Carter stated that he studied the salaries of seventeen surrounding localities and only Lynchburg ranks above Martinsville in beginning and maximum teachers' salaries; but, when I asked what percentage salary increases these surround- ing localities were proposing for their school personnel in the coming year, no one from the School Board or the School Administration answered the question. After the meeting, I asked for a telephone survey of the School Board offices in several neighboring localities. The survey shows that the proposed salary increases for Martinsville's school personnel are higher than those of the surrounding localities. The proposed Martinsville School budget calls for an average salary increase of 12.6% for teachers without Master's degrees, (and) 11.5% for teachers with Master's degrees. Adminstrators' salaries are proposed to increase 12% and all other school salaries are to increase 8%. Total school salaries are to increase 11. 7%. By comparison, teachers' salaries are proposed to increase by 10% in the City of Danville, the County of Henry, the County of Franklin, and the County of Pittsylvania; 10% up to a $1,700 maximum in Patrick County; and 6% plus-a-step increase in Roanoke. While Martinsville School Administrators' salaries are proposed to increase 12%