Jackson School Board approves budget for 2014-2015 school year

The Jackson School Board approved a 2014-2015 budget Tuesday night that included revenue of $45,779,234 and 2.5 percent pay increases for certified teachers, up from the 2 percent that was awarded last year.

" ... We also use that as a guide for the rest of our [salary] schedules," associate superintendent for finance and business operations Dr. Wade Bartels said.

The district has 682 full- and part-time employees, about 320 of whom are teachers, he said. Starting salary for 2014-2015 for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree will be $33,500, information from the district shows.

Board vice president Dan Stover said he was encouraged that teachers with many years of experience and advanced degrees also received a "nice increase."

District expenses, which include construction of a new elementary school, will run $58,709,748. East Elementary School, 455 N. Lacey St., is being financed with a total of $16 million in bonds, Bartels said.

He added the district is continuing to focus on technology and is supporting its technology infrastructure, such as bandwidth and wireless infrastructure, as it has during the last few years.

The 2013-2014 budget was for $43,464,283 in revenue with budgeted expenditures of $59,655,866, including school construction financed with bond issues.

"That had $16 million worth of construction expenses, but we didn't spend nearly that amount," Bartels said.

For 2014-2015, revenue includes 38 percent from the state, 44 percent local, 9 percent from Proposition C (a 1 percent state sales tax), 6 percent from the federal government, 2 percent from the county and 1 percent "other," according to the budget.

In a normal year -- without construction, Bartels said, personnel, salary and benefits take up about 70 percent of the budget. "Since we have the additional expenditure [of construction]," the percentage is less, but "if you back out construction, it's about the same," he said.

An increase in health-care premiums also is planned for.

"As a general philosophy, we're a pretty conservative district, anyway, and we kind of budget conservatively. I'm hoping to have a good idea of what expenses and revenue are. I've budgeted an increase, but obviously, we hope it's less than that," Bartels said.

The district covers the cost of health insurance for its employees, but if employees want to add dependents or spouses, it's at their expense.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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