Due to lack of attendance, the initial step to launch the 2026-’27 school board budget preparations was delayed once again.
The Cumberland County Board of Education did not hold its special-called meeting March 12 due to a lack of a quorum following its work session; therefore, the pay scales for certified and classified employees as well as the insurance options were not selected.
At the upcoming monthly board meeting March 26, the school board will look at three options for the certified pay scales and two for the classified. The compensation and insurance is an estimated 86% of the school board’s budget.
In the certified pay scales, options A and B offer $4,000 between degrees allowing for linear growth and $600 between steps.
Steps are the distance an employee would move to each year they continue with their experience and employment with Cumberland County Schools.
If chosen, option A has a negative salary impact, but no employees currently fall in those categories.
Chris King, 6th District, questioned the negative numbers under the doctorate scale in option B. If chosen, this scale would negatively impact four doctorate employees in years 16, 22 and 23. According to the scale, there is a negative difference in salary if this option is chosen ranging from $42 to $548.
“These are what equalizes the scale, makes it straight,” King asked. “And it’s only for this one year. After that, the scale is set.”
No verbal response was given to King’s question.
Chairman Scott VanWinkle, 2nd District, asked Director of Schools Rebecca Farley to put option F on the agenda for the school board’s consideration.
If chosen, option F would negatively impact one doctorate employee in year 16. According to the scale, there is a negative difference in salary if this option is chosen by $176.
In option F, in year zero of all degree levels, there is no raise.
Option F caps the maximum raise at $4,000 the scale catches, which would be three years for bachelor’s degrees and two years for all others.
There is a $725 annual step raise except $800 on year six and $900 on year seven. There is $3,500 between degree levels.
For all three options, there are no raises allotted for year zero — two employees fall in this category.
During the work session, Farley said that none of the scales will keep any of the employees “pay restricted.” This term is used to replace the previously used term “frozen.”
In the 2025-’26 budget cycle, there were 59 educators whose pay was restricted to balance the scales. VanWinkle drew up several graphs and projections to propose a balanced pay scale to the board in April 2025. In those projections, VanWinkle stated in the April 2025 budget work session that it would take approximately six years to fix the balloon in the middle of the scale.
In an effort to maintain balanced scales, the school board’s pay scale options for the 2026-’27 budget cycle all maintain the vertical and horizontal balance it was seeking.
In classified pay scales, the two options are if the employees receive a $1 step increase or a 50-cent increase.
To share a public comment at the full board meeting, there will be a sign-up sheet outside the board room. Comments are limited to three minutes. All public comments must adhere to board policy 1.404.
The Cumberland County Board of Education is scheduled to meet March 26 at 6 p.m. for its monthly board meeting in the Central Services building at 368 Fourth St. in Crossville.