May 4, 2023 at 4:30 PM - Bradley County Board of Education Work Session

Discussion:  Finance Director, Susan Willcutt, presented the 2023-2024 General Purpose Budget to the Board.  

It is very early to estimate revenue for next year, but a few things worth mentioning are 

• Sales tax is currently running about $1 million over this year’s projection.  

• This is an equalization year for Property Taxes (happens every 4 years) which can offset county growth.

Since BEP funding is being replaced by TISA funding, we are not sure what that will look like but, based on the original estimate, we are hopeful it will be more than the BEP generated.
Many positions funded through ESSER will need to come back to GPS next year.  We estimate the amount for those positions to be about $800,000.
The current bus contract ends this year, and we will be negotiating a new one in this budget cycle.

BUDGET PRIORITIES requested by Board

1.  Teacher raises

2.  Science Wing

3.  Sports Projects 

4.  Nurse onboarding and retention

5.  Sub onboarding and retention

6. Classified pay scale (domino effect)

7. Growth/Capacity study 

8.  Technology refresh

9.  Bus contractors

10.  School safety (uniform door locks)

 

Classified Scales

• I have spoken about the need to look at our classified pay scales for a while, but there always seems to be more pressing needs.

• If we consider adding a flat amount to the scales, it would reduce the huge gap between classified and certified salaries (made worse by only adding percentage raises over the years. It’s the same concept as compounding interest).  

• I would ask you to consider moving every classified employee to at least $15/hour.  Our custodians are the lowest paid employees at $13.95/hour for a 12 month employee on step 1.

• To get them to $15/hour we would need to add a flat $2100 to their scale .  If we add that flat amount to all classified scales it would cost the district approximately $400,000  plus benefits. 

• I would also suggest adding any % raises the board recommends to those scales. 
   

  Teacher Assistants (Parapros)

• We are having trouble hiring and retaining teaching assistants, especially part-time.  The scale currently starts at $14.04/hour and with no benefits for part-timers, we have very little interest. 

• One suggestion would be to pay for the T.A.s annual training.
   
   

  Teacher Assistants

  	Current Scale $18,970-24,760 $14.04-18.33/hr	Proposed Scale $21,070-26,860 $15.60-19.88/hr
  T.A.s	Cost per year $2,010,466	Additional Cost per year If adding $2100 to all steps $192,150 plus benefits

Full-time Nurse scale
 

	Current Scale $33,280-$43,680	Proposed Scale $35,380-$45,780
Nurses	Cost per year $730,760 includes sped nurses	Additional Cost per year If adding $2100 to all steps $37,800 plus benefits

 

One challenge that we have noticed with our nursing positions is at our secondary schools.  When we have vacancies, there is very little interest from our elementary nurses because the enrollment is 2-3 times more but the pay is the same.  I would ask the board to consider adding a stipend for our secondary school nurses to make the extra work load more appealing.
 

School Secretaries
The flat $2100 added to each classified scale will still not be competitive with surrounding districts for school secretaries, but it is a good start.
 

Sub onboarding and retention

• Our current sub-rates are:

• Regular subs $  84.00/day

• Subs with 4 yr degree $  87.50/day

• Certified/retired from BCS $ 100.00/day

I feel good about the current rates but would like you to consider paying for their annual training.
 

PROJECTED COST OF RAISES

In order to pay for step raises we will need approximately $600,000.

In order to pay for raises on top of the step raise we need:

$2,400,000 for a 4% raise

$2,700,000 for a 4.5% raise

$3,000,000 for a 5% raise

Per the Governor, we will be required by 2026 to pay teachers on a Bachelors and 0 at least $50,000.  If we can give at least a 4% increase for the next 3 years, we will be over that threshold.  This incremental increase will be much easier to handle than a huge increase in 2026.  
 

BUDGET FORM 

Due to questions we get when comparing the BOE Budget document to the County Budget document, we are asking for your approval to use the same format for both. 
 

REQUEST FOR A BUDGET WORK SESSION

The Board will need to approve the budget at the May 11th board meeting. I am requesting a budget work session on either April 27th, May 2nd, or May 4th. The later the meeting is, the more accurate the revenue numbers should be.

Discussion:  Finance Director, Susan Willcutt, presented the proposed new bus contract to the Board.  
 

BRADLEY COUNTY SCHOOLS

Pupil Transportation Contract

This contract is made and entered into as of the 1st day of July, 2023, by and between the Bradley County Board of Education, and ___________________________, a bus contractor pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-2101.  This contract terminates as of the 30th day of June, 2027, unless terminated sooner as set forth herein.

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AGREES:

1.  To pay the contractor for services rendered under this agreement a base of $38.82 per seat per month, and $1.90 per mile and to apply the same percentage raise given to teachers to both the seat rate and the mileage rate.  Pay will begin when the first student is picked up and end when the last student is dropped off.  Mileage amounts are subject to change due to the needs of students to be transported.  Capacity of a bus will be determined by the Board of Education.  Pay will be based on 180 days and made in ten (10) equal payments on the twenty-fifth (25th) of each month beginning in August.  All routes will be paid a 60-mile minimum.  All routes will be developed by the Transportation Supervisor and approved by the Board of Education.

2.  To pay two cents ($0.02) per mile for every five cents ($0.05) increase on the fuel pump for fuel allotment.  The base fuel price shall be five dollars ($5.00) per gallon (diesel).   The price will be monitored at Collins Oil Company on South Lee Highway.   The fuel price will be recorded on the 1st day of each month. If the price recorded meets the threshold of $5.00 per gallon, the fuel allotment will be included with that month’s regular monthly payment.

3. To pay $5000 stipend per route annually. Payment will be made in (10) equal payments of $500 and will be included with the contractor’s regular monthly payment.

4. In the event of a contractor’s death during the terms of the contract, to provide the contractor’s estate with the opportunity to assume the contract for remaining term, subject to appropriate terms and conditions set forth in Board policy and Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-2107.  

5. To provide liability and property damage insurance coverage for one (1) bus per route subject to terms, conditions, and limits to be determined by the Board’s liability insurance carrier. It is understood and agreed that coverage shall be limited to:

   1. While transporting students to and from school and during any other contractual operations between the school district and the owner/drivers: excluding any operations outside such contractual relationship and when performing services for any other group or organization not sponsored or sanctioned by the Board.

   2. While ferrying buses for normal maintenance, transporting new or used buses to or from a vendor when buses are purchased and sold, and while performing any other ancillary operations necessary to the ownership and operation of a school bus, specifically for the purpose of carrying out contractual arrangements with the Board.

6. To pay for random drug testing for contractors and their drivers.

7. To provide a video system for each primary bus and 1 spare bus.

8. To provide a strobe light for each primary bus and 1 spare bus.

THE CONTRACTOR AGREES:

1. To abide by the federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, and school board policies; more specifically, Policy 3.400 Student Transportation Management, that is attached to this as Example A and made a part of this agreement.

2. To be an independent contractor and not an employee of the Board of Education, and, therefore, liable for all taxes incident to this contract, to provide for any workers’ compensation insurance applicable to its own employees, and to procure, in its own discretion, uninsured motorist coverage over its buses.  Bus Contractors/Drivers are not eligible for workers’ compensation or uninsured motorist coverage from Bradley County School District.

3. Not to employ any driver or to place any equipment into service except in compliance with Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 49-5-413(d), 49-6-2107, and 49-6-2109. 

4. To be responsible for providing a replacement bus and/or driver to ensure uninterrupted service.

5. To provide proper liability and property damage insurance coverage for each bus (spares) used to transport Bradley County students that are not covered by the Board’s insurance carrier.  The Board shall be provided with a certificate of insurance indicating that such insurance is in force and in effect at all times.  The Contractor shall give 30 days written notice to the Board prior to the cancellation of any insurance policy required under the terms of this contract.

6. To maintain and ensure the video camera systems and strobe lights provided by the Board are in proper working order and to report any malfunction in said equipment to the Transportation Supervisor.

7. To provide working video camera systems for any bus over and above the primary and spare buses.

8. To be liable for any insurance deductible if contractor or its driver is in an at-fault accident.

 

OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1.  In the event of decreased enrollment or fiscal constraints, the Board reserves the right to terminate this contract at the end of any given school year.

2.  In the event the Director of Schools determines that the contractor and/or the contractor’s drivers have failed to comply with the laws of the State, the rules of the State Board of Education, the policies of this Board, the terms of this contract, or the reasonable expectations of the Transportation Director, the Director of Schools may terminate this contract for cause.  The contractor may appeal the Director’s decision to the Board, whose decision will be final.

Discussion: 




                                                                      
Amanda Lee, Chairman



                                                                      
Dr. Linda Cash, Director of Schools