Sullivan Co. BOE to propose a 15% raise for all school employees by 2026

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Sullivan County Board of Education (BOE) met for a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the 2024-2025 school budget.

At the meeting, the board prepared a $97 million budget proposal for the 2024-2025 school year that suggests a 15% raise for all Sullivan County Schools employees, which would require an approximate $6 million distribution.

Chuck Carter, Director of Sullivan County Schools, said this proposal follows Governor Bill Lee’s initiative to raise teachers’ base salary to $50,000 by 2026 .

“For us to accomplish that over the next two years, it is going to become necessary for us to have a raise similar to this, but that is only for beginning teachers,” Carter said. “We cannot leave out veteran teachers or even teachers with two or three years of experience, and we cannot leave out any of our support staff who are so vitally important to the success of our schools.”

Carter said a salary increase would support teachers by showing recognition and unification.

Carter and Sullivan County Board Chairman Matthew Price will present the proposal to the County Commission’s Budget Committee on May 15. If approved, it will then move to the full commission.

“I believe our county commissioners and our mayor and everyone that supports us understand that this is an investment for our students, which in turn is an investment for our workplace development, which in turn is a return on the investment for business, community welfare of our society here and solving county.”

Carter encouraged the Sullivan County community to remind teachers of their value as a way to say “thank you.”

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