The Webster Parish School Board will meet Monday, but Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Rawls will recommend that discussion of the ongoing issue of salary schedules be postponed.
Rawls says there is information that must be put together first, and they are awaiting word from the state on funding for the 2016-17 school year.
“I’m going to make a recommendation that be delayed until we get more information and get it ironed out,” he said. “We had a whole lot of people vote not to change the salary schedule, and we have some issues with the legislative auditors on how we’re going to run salary schedules. We have some issues with wage hour federal laws, so we’re not ready yet. We’re going to have to postpone this until we get it finished.”
He says all along they have been and will continue to work with the unions, such as the Webster Association of Educators and the Louisiana Association of Educators.
Rawls says they are also awaiting word from the legislature on Minimum Foundation Program funding, the state funding that pays salaries and benefits. Some state laws have changed as well, he says, and they are waiting to hear about those changes.
“We’re still waiting on what they will do with that, because that impacts what we get paid,” he said. “Remember, for the last three years, they gave those funds to the teachers and were added to the salary schedules for the teachers, but we gave them out as supplements. Some school systems added it into their salary schedules, so that has not been resolved yet. We don’t know if we’re going to get it or not. There are just too many things up in the air for us to make a decision Monday night.”
Two finance committee meetings have been set, one for 4 p.m. to discuss the 2015-16 budget revisions, and one at 5 p.m. to further discuss the salary schedules.
The regular meeting at 6 p.m. will deal with routine school system business, Rawls says, such as the air conditioning for the gymnasium at J.A. Phillips Middle School, a pressure washer for Brown Elementary, fixing the fire alarm system at Shongaloo, repairs to the cooling system at North Webster Lower Elementary and other housekeeping items.
The board will also discuss portable bleachers for Minden High School so football season can go on this fall, he said.
“The regular board meeting will be short, sweet and right to the point,” he said. “Our tax assessor will speak to the board about rollover taxes, but there won’t be a rollover this year. They will stay where they all are.”
The school board will meet, beginning at 4 p.m., Monday, May 16, at Central Office, located at 1442 Sheppard Street.