CMS wants more county money to boost teacher pay in $2.1 billion budget proposal

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools wants to boost local contributions to teachers’ base salaries in order to remain competitive with other North Carolina districts.

That’s part of an added $38.96 million, a 7% increase, the district wants from Mecklenburg County in the school system’s 2023-2024 budget. CMS officials Tuesday night unveiled a $2.1 billion operating budget recommendation that represents a 2.5% overall decrease from the current budget year. It also includes a projected 3% state salary raise for employees.

Officials said the decrease was due in part to one-time COVID-19 relief funds from the federal government nearing an end. Without COVID relief, the operating budget is about $1.9 billion, an increase over the current budget year.

The board could vote on the budget April 25. Then, it’ll go the the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners for further consideration.

Approval of the budget is critical to helping the state’s second-largest school district achieve its goals of meeting students’ needs and supporting academics, said Interim Superintendent Crystal Hill.

Investment in talent

With student enrollment projected to be nearly 142,000 next year and teacher turnover rates increasing, the district emphasized investing in its people with its budget proposal, Hill and other district leaders said.

The average teacher pay in North Carolina is $58,658, ranking seventh among 10 states in the Southeast. Alabama led the way with average pay at $66,506. North Carolina ranked last on that same list when it came to average beginning teacher pay, which stands at $39,695.

Salaries must be driven higher to address the fact that teachers earn about 25% less than other professions that also require a bachelor’s degree, Beth Thompson, an assistant superintendent, said during Tuesday’s meeting.

One way to address that is the local supplement. School districts have historically used the supplement, additional funding to a teacher’s base pay, to compete for talent, Thompson said.

CMS has ranked among the top in the state in terms of local supplement, but other districts are catching up.

A graphic shared with board members shows the proposed supplement increasing for beginning teachers from $6,590 to $7,300. The supplement increases the more time a teacher stays with the district. A teacher with 10 years of experience would get a supplement of $8,188 under the proposed budget, up from $7,873.

Thompson pointed to how the district needs to be able to attract and retain talent to come to work in the county. But that the average rent for an apartment or price of a home can be a barrier. The average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment is $1,435 per month or $17,220 a year, according to the school presentation Tuesday night.

The income needed to rent that same apartment is $61,479 a year, far higher than the average pay for a starting teacher, CMS officials said.

FULL PRESENTATION: See CMS 2023-2024 budget proposal

What’s in CMS’ requested $38.96 million?

During Tuesday’s presentation, district officials labeled parts of the new money it will seek from Mecklenburg County as “must-do” and “essential” investments.

Here’s a look at what “must-do” investments included:

• Sustaining school resource officers - $800,000 for contract rate increases

• State salary increases - $6.8 million to match the projected 3% state raise for locally funded positions

• Retirement and health insurance rate increases - $5.9 million

• Charter school enrollment growth - $6.8 million to pass through to charter schools for 1,815 new students

• Staffing and maintenance at new schools - $1.6 million

CMS labeled the following as “essential” investments:

• Salary adjustments for principals and non-certified staff in positions that are hard to fill and retain - $10.1 million

• Local supplement increase - $6 million

• Enhanced cyber defense tools and staff - $800,000

• Staffing and supplies for Office of Compliance and Ethics - $200,000

Similar to last year’s budget request?

The request for increased money from Mecklenburg County is nearly the same as last year’s requested increase.

Last year, CMS asked Mecklenburg County for $40 million in new money for the school system. The county’s budget provided $30 million of that request. Dozens of people spoke to county commissioners about the need to give more than they initially planned to help with staffing shortages and teacher pay.

The requested increase also comes as CMS is asking Mecklenburg County Commissioners to place a nearly $3 billion bond referendum on the ballot. But county staff say $2.5 billion is the highest it can go for a CMS bond referendum.