By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Brandon Twp.-The school board approved a 2 percent wage restoration for teachers, as well as a $15,000 stipend for the superintendent during their Oct. 17 meeting.

The 2 percent increase to current teacher salaries followed a 1 percent increase or step increase granted to educators last year, and still leaves instructors far below what they were making prior to 2013, when a 7.5 percent decrease to salaries was implemented by the board.

“We’re happy to make a step back in a positive direction,” said Superintendent Matt Outlaw. “It’s about a $200,000 investment for us. There are 142 teachers in the district that received this wage restoration. We always want to be really careful with how we are spending money and at the end of the day, we have to retain high quality teachers and this is an investment in our teaching staff.”

After count day last month, the district learned they had lost another 123 students, equating to a revenue decrease of about $1 million based on the state foundation allowance of $7,511 per pupil. The district has lost more than 1,000 students over the course of the past decade and now stands at 2,604 for the 2016-17 school year.

In spite of the decrease in students, the district’s fund balance has increased. Last month’s clean audit report from Plante & Moran shows the unassigned fund balance has grown to $1,790,623, or 6.85 percent.

Andrea Ferguson, Brandon Education Association president and Brandon High School math teacher, noted that teachers on the step system, an automatic pay scale with increases according to longevity—frozen for several years during the economic downturn— are still four steps behind.

“Teachers have made sacrifices for several years to protect the financial integrity of the district,” said Ferguson. “We’re very happy we are moving in a positive direction and appreciative the board is making it a priority to restore the sacrifices that have already been made.”

The teachers contract will expire June 30,2017. Negotiations will begin next spring. The 2 percent wage restoration takes effect immediately and is retroactive to the first day of the school year.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a $15,000 stipend for Outlaw, rewarding him for handling the human resources duties for the district, a role he has done since he was hired in 2014 as superintendent.

“I appreciate the gesture by the board,” said Outlaw, who noted he was one of the two lowest paid superintendents in the county and the stipend moves him forward. “I’m happy to be here and keep working and doing what I can to move the district forward.”

Outlaw received a raise one year ago and as superintendent, earns $132,500 annually. The $15,000 recently approved stipend is good for one year.