CCSB Considers Classified Pay Increase

RISON - The Cleveland County School Board took no action Monday night on a proposed pay increase for classified staff, but the board seemed to be in favor of providing some form of an increase depending on how the district's finances pan out for the rest of the year.After the matter was brought up during last month's meeting, Superintendent Davy King presented the board with two proposed pay increases for classified staff during Monday night's regular monthly meeting. He said the proposals were for informational purposes only at this time.One proposal was for a 3 percent increase for all classified staff at an estimated cost of about $29,611, and the other was for a 5 percent pay increase that would cost about $49,352.Classified staff essentially refers to all employees other than the certified teaching staff. It includes office personnel, maintenance workers, custodians, etc.King gave the board an overview of the district's current finances. Using figures provided by Norman Hill, a school finance specialist with the Southeast Arkansas Education Cooperative, the district currently has an overall balance of $7.287 million on hand while expenses are expected to finish the year at about $7.030 million. That would leave the district with a carryover surplus of about $250,000.King said the district was able to carry over more than $200,000 last year, but pointed out that basically reflected what the district received in a onetime partnership program payment from the state to help fund the school cafeteria expansion. That money will not be repeated this year. He also noted the the projected $250,000 carry-over is barring any unforeseen expenses between now and the end of the fiscal year, which is June 30. He said something like an air conditioner failure, a motor going out in a bus or some other costly repair could impact that amount.While the district's finances are currently looking strong, King urged caution because there co...