JACKSON BOARD SETS SALARY SCHEDULES

JACKSON -- School board members began fiscal planning for the 1999-2000 school year by approving salary schedules and federal programming applications during a meeting Tuesday night.

The Jackson Board of Education approved pay increases and increases on salary schedules for certified and classified staff during the meeting. Salary schedules are charts that outline specific salary amounts based upon years of service and educational or skill advancement.

District-wide, all staff will receive roughly 2.5 percent increases on average, said Dr. Terry Gibbons, assistant superintendent for finance and support services. A new index system was used to figure the increase for licensed teachers so that those with more years of service and education received comparable salary increases to new teachers in the district.

In discussion of classified staff schedules, the board approved a probationary period for custodial staff to reduce turnover of personnel. In the past, the district's starting wage has prevented some applicants from accepting positions with the district, Gibbons said. The probationary period would allow successful employees to advance on the salary schedule after a trial period.

"This would hopefully give them a little more incentive to stay," he said.

Board members also approved a newly-created salary schedule for athletic coaches. The coaching salary is the first of a series of schedules being created to create an equitable, time-saving method for calculating extra-duty pay for teachers who serve as sponsors for extracurricular activities.

In other business, board members approved several applications for federal programs for the next school year. The applications are made each year to receive federal funding for programs dealing with remedial reading, professional development, safe and drug-free schools, and other programs.

A bid also was awarded to Hoffman Roofing Company to replace the roof on Building C at the high school.