Fayette County schools give staff 2% raises

Fayette County Public Schools will boost employee pay with a 2% cost-of-living increase, effective in October. First discussed at the Board of Education’s Sept. 13 work session, the measure was unanimously approved on Monday. The increase applies to all regular full- and part-time employees and will use about $2.76 million from the system’s general fund. Substitute teachers and other hourly workers already received raises this year and are not included.

Salary grade increases are being implemented for positions the county has had trouble filling, including bus drivers, school nutrition staff, custodians and After School Program aides, at a cost of $275,000. The system is also making “market-competitive” salary range changes for administrative positions, including principals, assistant principals, coordinators and directors, in an effort to improve recruitment and retention.

Chief Financial Officer Tom Gray said at the work session that funding for the increases will come in part from savings the county has banked due to unfilled positions and from retirees being replaced with younger workers at the lower end of the pay scale.