JMCSS meets with County Commission over budget

JACKSON, Tenn. — Officials with the Jackson-Madison County School System met with the Madison County Commission on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s Education Vision meeting gave the commission an opportunity to be introduced the school system’s new budget proposal.

“I was able to see a little bit about what their proposal will be. I’m very interested in looking more at that. I think it’s going to be some very good things for the teachers it appears,” said Madison County Commissioner, Jeff Wall.

This budget proposal for year 2024 features some new items, such as three dollar raises for support staff. This includes people that work in school kitchens, janitors, and bus drivers.

The proposal also includes raising the starting salaries for teachers from $42,000 to between $45,000 and $46,000.

Another item includes a “We Care” plan for teachers. This is a plan that will include weight management plans, gym memberships, massages, and acupuncture.

A major change is to the insurance benefits of school staff. The new proposal suggests employees with family will pay 20% and the county will pay 80%.

Employees without family will pay 90% and the county will pay 10%.

“We have a superintendent who is coming in with a plan. He’s not just going out, asking for money. He has a method and a plan to retain the employees that we have, but also to recruit new talent,” said Greg Hammond, the Chief of Public Information at JMCSS.

Most of these new items are funded by elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds or ESSER funds.

This is funding given from the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the government says that there will be no more ESSER funds given out and they expire in September of 2024.

Wall spoke about concerns he may have after the funds run out.

“My concern is that how do we sustain that? How do we go forward? Dr. King relieved some of that tonight with talking about how he has been able to go through some of that, and hopefully, sustain that going forward,” Wall said.

And King’s plan going forward after the funds run out, that the school system will use Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement funds, or TISA funds, to support the budget when ESSER funds deplete.

Tuesday’s Education Vision meeting was for the commission to discuss the budget.

The official budget proposal has not yet been given to the commission.

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