Washington Co., Tenn. Board of Education re-instates employee raises during budget meeting
Share this @internewscast.com

JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Washington County, Tennessee Board of Education (BOE) ratified its budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 on Tuesday. This decision included an amendment to restore an employee pay raise that had been previously eliminated.

Initially, the wage increase was removed from the budget while the BOE faced a $4 million shortfall. Though scheduled step pay increases were maintained, the proposed pay raises were omitted.

Chairman Annette Buchanan explained that an oversight at their last budget meeting led them to overlook a Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) requirement regarding the pay scale, which needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget.

During Tuesday’s meeting, four options to allow salary increases back into the budget to fulfill that TCA code were presented, and after discussion, the fourth option was chosen:

FY26-GP-Budget_Possible-Reduction_06192025-Proposed_Amendments_Reinstate-Salary-amp-Wages-IncrDownload

The BOE approved “option 4”, with Vince Walters and Chad Fleenor voting “no”.

That vote will raise the starting teacher salary to $47,905. The number, as mandated by the state, must be at least $50,000 by next year.

Superintendent for Washington County Schools Jerry Boyd told News Channel 11 after the meeting that hard choices to keep the budget as balanced as it can be aren’t over yet.

“Difficult decisions have to be made,” he said. “You know, we’re not done as far as those difficult decisions throughout the year, as we do every year. We will continue to monitor the budget very closely.”

Boyd said the decision was on a tight schedule, as the budget they decided on Tuesday went into effect the same day.

“Since we’re actually in the Fiscal Year 26, effective today, and we’ll be proceeding to the commission to update our budget through these budget amendments that our board approved tonight. And then [we’re] also prepared to adjust our salary schedules for this next school year, so that that’s the work ahead of us.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

C-U Public Health District Distributing Free Meals to Children

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Children can receive free meals at the Champaign-Urbana…

Republican Senators Push White House to Unlock Withheld NIH Funds

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and 13 other Senate Republicans are urging the…

Delaying Tariff Decisions Won’t Benefit This Maryland Manufacturer

Huether, a Republican, said he shares the administration’s goal of reinvigorating American…

Senators from both parties call for a study on wildfire insurance

A pair of bipartisan senators introduced legislation this week that would seek…

Stream These 8 Iconic ’80s Sitcoms Now

(NEXSTAR) — With so many TV streaming services available, deciding what to…

Storm Team 3: Prepare for Extremely Hot Weather This Weekend

Anticipate the hottest period of the summer to date in Savannah, Ga.…

Former Flight Attendant Receives 19-Year Sentence for Secretly Filming Minors in Airplane Bathrooms

BOSTON (WWLP) – An ex-flight attendant from American Airlines was sentenced on…

White House Considering Uncommon Measure to Halt Spending Without Congressional Approval: Key Details

Trump administration officials are weighing a controversial maneuver aimed at allowing them…

Venezuelan Little League Team Unable to Secure Visas for World Series in the US

A Venezuelan Little League baseball team will miss the Senior Baseball World…

Israeli Gunfire and Strikes in Gaza Result in at Least 25 Deaths, Including Aid Seekers

DEIR EL-BALAH – According to health officials and the ambulance service on…

Southwest Airlines Las Vegas-Bound Flight Dips Drastically to Avoid Nearby Aircraft

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Southwest Airlines jet bound for Las Vegas…

Champaign Resident Receives 25-Year Sentence for Double Homicide in 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — One man in Champaign County is pleading guilty…