A Mississippi Department of Education math error could cost three area public school districts nearly $500,000 next school year to fund teacher raises.
State lawmakers approved a $1,500 salary raise for teachers and teacher assistants starting July 1. But when MDE submitted to the Legislature its count of employees qualifying for the raise, it excluded gifted, special education and career/technical teachers, resulting in a $15 million shortfall in the appropriation.
Legislators say they plan to make it right, at least with a deficit appropriation next legislative session (which begins in January). In the meantime, it’s unclear how the raises for the teachers omitted from the appropriation will be funded.
Leaders from Columbus Municipal, Lowndes County and Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated school districts said they will pony up the funds themselves, if necessary, and allow the deficit appropriation to reimburse them.
A coding error led to MDE miscounting the qualifying teachers, Director of Communications Patrice Guilfoyle said.
“We have been told by lawmakers, it will be funded from a deficit appropriation,” she said. “(Legislators) have reassured teachers will receive their pay raise.”
The raises increased the salary schedule at the state’s public schools, which sets pay based on education and years of experience. The base salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree, for example, went from $34,390 to $35,890.
Local districts also contribute to salaries above the state minimum.
Area district reactions
At CMSD, there are 61 teachers and 16 teacher assistants left out of the appropriation, totaling nearly $150,000 for 2019-20 once increased benefits and retirement costs are considered, Superintendent Cherie Labat said.
“We expect the situation to be remedied,” Labat said. “… We would front the funds to make sure that we treat our employees well until our situation is remedied. I know our local delegation is supportive of education. We will work collaboratively with MDE to make sure all teachers receive the pay raise.”
SOCSD could be on the hook for roughly $200,000, fronting raises for 74 teachers and 28 assistant teachers.
“We will be working to prepare for how we are going to handle this,” Superintendent Eddie Peasant said. “We do expect our Department of Education or state legislators to address the issue and fix it for us. We will be taking care of all of our teachers, one way or another. Hopefully (MDE) will address it, but if we have to address it, we are going to take care of our entire faculty.”
Lynn Wright, superintendent for LCSD, hopes that state officials amend the financial burden before budget time. With up to 50 teachers affected, the district could pay about $100,000.
“We are going to do whatever it takes, we are going to have open faith the state will come through,” Wright said. “If projected revenues for next year come in as scheduled, we will be able to take care any of the raises that the Legislature hadn’t take care of.”
State legislators reactions
Local legislators all agree MDE’s mistake was unfortunate and avoidable. They also agree the Legislature must fix it.
However, they disagree on whether it should be done by a deficit appropriation next year or with a — albeit highly unlikely — special session before July 1.
District 38 Rep. Gary Chism (R-Columbus) said local district should shoulder the raises out of their fund balances — which are recommended to be at least 7 percent of their annual budget — and be reimbursed in 2020.
“There’s no need to have a special session. We have deficit appropriations every year on something that we didn’t have right,” Chism said. “… There are certainly school districts that don’t do it, but most of them around here do have that 7 percent in their fund balance. The main thing I want to emphasize to teachers and assistant teachers is, don’t worry about it. You’re going to get your money.”
Rob Roberson (R-Starkville), who represents District 43, agrees with Chism that no special session is necessary. But he believes MDE should provide districts money for the omitted raises, rather than local districts having to front it.
“I really wished this had not happened,” Roberson said. “It throws school districts, teachers and superintendents into an uncertain situation. It’s uncalled for. Mistakes are made and you have to fix them as soon as possible, but these mistakes cause a lot of problems on a local level.”
In order to not threaten school districts’ budgets, District 16 Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D-West Point)and District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus) both think a special session is in order to resolve the problem quickly.
“It’s highly unlikely we will be called back for a special session,” Turner-Ford said. “Certainly if we got the call I would be happy to return to Jackson to rectify this.”
For Karriem, calling a special session is the only logical solution.
“Public education has not been a top priority for this leadership until this election year,” Karriem said. “I would be surprised if they do call a special session to remedy this situation. If is very unfortunate we left those teachers out and are putting the burden on those school districts. …That’s a lot of money for school districts to come up with.”
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