Rowan County kicks off new school year with new incentives

ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Rowan County is one of many districts headed back to school Tuesday morning and like other school systems across the state it’s committed to ensuring its students remain in the classroom all year.

In February, the Rowan County Board of Education drafted a new school calendar in an attempt to address the issue of chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism happens when a student misses 10% of school days in a year. That may sound like a lot but in Rowan County, 43% of their students were chronically absent during the 2022 to 2023 school year. Based on those numbers the district decided it was time for a change, taking advice from both staff and families to draft a new school calendar designed to keep kids at school.

Some of the changes include built-in professional learning days for staff members allowing them to undergo necessary training during school hours rather than after school. Teachers also advocated for more prep hours to take those pieces of training and have time to implement them in their classrooms. Family members of students said longer breaks during the year were a priority. In response, the district gave students a full week off during the Thanksgiving break and a four-day weekend around Super Bowl Sunday.

The districts hope this new approach will not only benefit students but also parents and guardians who often struggle to manage family schedules and school activities.

This year, Rowan County school leaders said teachers at the high school will head back to work with some new incentives .

By revamping salary tables, faculty said the district is aiming to ensure that employees receive annual raises to cover the rising cost of living.

Starting this year, classified employees will see their hourly pay increase annually instead of every five years, according to district leaders. Certified employees will also have incentives to achieve rank 2 certification by the 15th year of service, as well as extended pay increases through their 30th year. Members of the board of education say these changes are a direct reflection of the district’s $1.4 million annual investment in its employees and their desire to keep teachers in the district as long as possible.

The board of education says they’re committed to delivering top-notch public education to the community and these raises help put the district in a better position to compete with the top schools in the state.

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