The Greene County Schools board of education at its May 14 meeting approved pay increases for substitute teachers and some hourly employees.
The pay for substitute teachers for the new school year will increase from $150 to $160 per day. Substitutes who work in the same classroom for 11 or more consecutive days will receive $190.52 per day, a $10 increase.
The starting wage for classroom associates is increasing depending on their education. Associates with a high school diploma or equivalent will start at $14 per hour, an increase of $1.50. New associates with an associate’s degree will earn $14.50 per hour, up from $14, and new associates with a bachelor’s degree will be paid $15 per hour, a $1 increase. The pay for associate subs will be $14 per hour, an increase of $2.
Bus driver pay will increase 2.5 percent, to $45.35 for route drivers and $20.03 for activity drivers.
The pay for cooks is also increasing, from $12.50 to $14 per hour for a new cook, and from $14 to $15 per hour for a new cook with a culinary degree.
The starting pay for school secretaries is increasing from $13 to $14 per hour.
The board also approved a new 2-year continuing contract for superintendent Brett Abbotts. His salary in the first year of the contract is set at $169,500, with full family medical insurance, family dental insurance, family vision insurance, and long term disability insurance. He will be granted 20 days of sick leave and 20 days vacation per year. The contract specifies he will be formally evaluated by the board on an annual basis.
The board held a public hearing to amend the current year budget. No one spoke and the board approved the amendment showing an increase of $4.7 million in expenditures, to a total of $28,792,923. The increases include $1.5 million in increases to salaries and benefits, $200,000 in increased costs in the nutrition program, and $3 million for the photovoltaic (solar) project.
The board accepted contract documents with Story Construction as construction manager at risk for the photovoltaic project. The board also set a public hearing on the plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost of the project for Monday, June 2, at 12 pm at the district conference room in Jefferson.
The board approved a bid of $35,500 from Campbell Concrete of Jefferson for patching at four parking lots, a fuel pad at the bus garage, a new concrete pad at Linduska Field, a parking area for bicycles and a door pad at the elementary school.
Cindy Wise of Jefferson spoke during the open forum to thank teacher Lisa Garnett for assisting with bringing a program about sex trafficking to Jefferson earlier in the month. Abbotts and school board members Bonnie Silbaugh and Connie Boyd attended. Wise asked for their comments about the program. Silbaugh said she would be happy to talk with Wise one-on-one, but since it wasn’t on the agenda she would not speak then. Abbotts offered to email his comments to Wise, and Silbaugh spoke with her privately during a break in the meeting.
