Teachers in the Picayune School District will soon receive a raise.
During discussion of the matter at Tuesday evening’s meeting, Assistant Superintendent Brent Harrell told the Board of Trustees each certified teacher would receive a $300 raise for the year, bringing Picayune’s teacher pay scales above all other Pearl River County school districts.
After the Board approved the motion, Harrell said those raises will not be effective until the end of November, and would be spread out through each pay period until July of next year.
District Finance Director Lisa Persick said there are about 230 eligible teachers in the district. She said the change to the budget would be less than $70,000 because some teachers are paid with federal funding.
An agenda item tabled at the last meeting was denied by the Board on Tuesday. It dealt with six people from Early Head Start traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico, of which three are parents, for parent training.
Board member Dr. Lori Blackmer asked if the $9,000 budgeted for the trip could be used to provide the same training to more parents, such as bringing a speaker to Picayune.
Dr. Pamela Thomas, director of Picayune’s Early Head Start, said that is a possibility, but the workshop for this year was set last year.
Board member Frank Ford said he struggled with approving the travel, based on health concerns, due to the spread of Zika virus in the American territory. To address Ford’s concerns, Board attorney Gerald Patch said the district could protect itself by requiring attendees to sign a waiver and require each participant to abide by Centers for Disease Control regulations.
Board member Edward Stubbs said that the workshop was already set, and suggested the Board implement Blackmer’s idea next year.
When the matter came up for a vote, Ford motioned to approve all travel requests except for the travel to Puerto Rico, which was seconded by Blackmer and approved by Board Chairman Frank Feeley. Stubbs opposed.
In another matter, Feeley read two letters addressed to the Board, commending them for two actions. The first was from Carolyn Triplett Tristian, the daughter of former football coach Calvin Triplett, expressing her appreciation for naming the football stadium after her father.
The second was from Charlotte Odom, who thanked the Board for supporting the installation of handrails in the football stadium stands, which help her reach her seat independently.
The next meeting will be Oct. 25 at noon.