NELL HOLCOMB SETTLES ON ONE-TIME PAYMENT FOR TEACHERS, BUT NO LASTING RAISE

Like their counterparts in other school districts, tight state finances will keep teachers at the Nell Holcomb R-4 School District from getting a permanent salary increase in the coming school year.

But the district will provide teachers a one-time payment in September that amounts to 2.2 percent of their salary.

The district's Board of Education approved the salary schedule at a board meeting Tuesday night, said district Superintendent Wayne Pressley. The district's 1991-1992 fiscal year begins July 1.

Pressley said the district has been told, because of the way the state's finances are, that it can expect state aid in the 1991-1992 school year to decrease by 3 percent over the current level. That would follow a year in which several funding areas were already down, he said, including Proposition C and the cigarette tax.

"We didn't feel we could begin to lock in increases to the salary schedule until we could see a little better picture coming from the state," said the superintendent.

The Board of Education's decision follows salary freezes at the Oak Ridge, Chaffee, Thomas W. Kelly, and Scott County Central school districts. Lack of state funding is reportedly hurting those districts as well.

Nell Holcomb's Community Teachers Association President Garry Pirch said teachers would get the one-time compensation for "coming back, more or less." Pirch also served as a physical education teacher and coach.

"Considering the way things are with the funding and everything we were happy to get that much. Things are tight all over."

A first-year teacher starts out at Nell Holcomb at $19,440. Pressley said only one new teacher would be hired by the district this year.

Nell Holcomb's Board of Education plans a study of the district's salary schedule next year, out of concern over some areas, Pressley said. He declined to discuss those areas though.

"I'd rather hold on that because ... it could get into some personal things. It's not anything where people are not doing their jobs."

The goal of the review, he said, is to make the schedule as "equitable" as possible.

Pressley said that next year, teachers, school board members, and the new superintendent will work on the schedule. The schedule will be ready for the 1992-1993 school year.

David Fuemmeler, principal of the Scott City junior and senior high schools, will replace Pressley as Nell Holcomb superintendent July 1. Pressley has accepted the job of superintendent of the Chaffee Public Schools.

The Board of Education will meet again June 13, when Pressley said the district's tentative 1991-1992 budget will be presented for approval.