Robbinsville – Graham County Schools’ officials found themselves in the unusual position of spreading extra money around – including pay supplements of $3,914 for each of 105 teachers in the district.
The new funds are the result of the state budget that was passed in November 2021.
The Graham County Board of Education ironed out details to distribute $543,139 for teacher supplements at Tuesday’s meeting, which must also include Social Security and retirement contributions from the district.
The board weighed two options: even distribution among the 105 teachers and instructional staff, or a sliding scale that would give more senior faculty higher distributions.
School Board Member Pam Knott argued for the sliding scale. A retired educator herself, she said senior faculty with 25 or more years in the system have been left out of some of the recent payroll windfall distributions, and this would be an opportunity to make it up to them. She was the only supporter of that option.
The board voted 4-1 to evenly distribute the teacher supplements with the money showing up in paychecks in March.
The board also approved numerous changes to the school district budget to reflect increased allocations from the state. Some of those allocations will also show up in staff and faculty paychecks, with the rest paying for things like supplies, equipment, credentialing and so on.
The other funding increases include $300,000 for capital expenses (with another $500,000 expected next year) and $644,792 in funding, funding increases, supplies, credential support, and more, throughout the district, for positions including substitute teachers, school psychologists, administrators, and PE, art and music teachers.
In other matters:
* High school graduation: Robbinsville High School’s graduation will be 8 p.m. Friday, June 3, at Big Oaks Football Stadium, Principal David Matheson announced.
* New pathways: Matheson reported that two new academic pathways will be added to the school curriculum: drone technology 1 and 2, and teaching as a profession 1 and 2. The teaching courses will attempt to create home-grown teachers for Graham County schools, he said.
* 2-22-22: To celebrate the highly unusual date (which also fell on a Tuesday), Robbinsville Middle School students participated in a 2-minute-long school dance party, Principal Tonia Walsh reported.
* Donations needed: A field trip to the coast for 51 Graham County middle schoolers and nine chaperones is short on funds and in need of donations. Many of the students have raised their own funds, but some have been unable to raise the whole amount.
So far, $1,640 has been donated out of the $7,200 needed so that all the students can participate.
* Random Acts of Kindness: Robbinsville Elementary School Principal Jaime Hooper said her school gathered items to send to U.S. troops as a “Random Acts of Kindness” project. The competition between classes resulted in a pizza party for the winning class.
* New gear on the way: Graham County Schools has received 400 new Chromebooks and 400 wifi hotspots that will be distributed to students once they have been inventoried and logged.
The hotspots – which have unlimited data – are available for families with connectivity issues, but need a cellular signal to work. Contact your child’s school if you need a hotspot. The Chromebooks will be issued to students through their schools.
* Dollywood: Members of Robbinsville High School’s Spanish and History clubs are going on a field trip to Dollywood on April 6. The field trip will include 20 students, two chaperones and the bus driver.
* Now hear this: The Robbinsville Middle School addition has found a problem that could prove expensive. The intercom system for the new building won’t be compatible with the rest of the complex, which has a system that has reached its maximum capacity and is obsolete. The system is also glitchy. It cuts out when the school bell rings, for example.
The high school looked to replace just its system several years ago and priced the project at up to $150,000; it has undoubtedly increased since then, not counting the need for it to accommodate the whole high school/middle school campus.
“The last thing we need is to have an emergency and not be able to access the intercom system,” Principal Matheson told the board.
Lottery funds could pay for a replacement system and school officials are exploring options.