Bath County Schools has announced a five percent pay raise for all teachers. Officials said this marks the first time in recent memory that a raise this high has been given in the district.
Steve Evans, Superintendent of Bath County Schools, said the teachers have earned it, and that this will go beyond the typical benefits teachers in Bath County see.
“The salary scales are called steps, so year one pays more than year zero, and year two pays a little more. And so, as you get more experience you naturally get a built-in step raise, but this is five percent for every certified teacher in our district,” said Evans.
Evans said he’s pushed for this raise because many teachers are looking into better-paying positions in nearby districts or have already left.
“You reach a point where your teachers are, they don’t want to leave but they need to leave because of the financial gains by going to another district. And so, when the state legislature put money into SEEK funds, it allows the opportunity, we were going to do three percent out of our regular budget, but the state funding allows us to reach down and get the other two percent and do five. It will not catch us up to surrounding districts, but it will at least keep us competitive with them,” said Evans.
He said moving forward he can’t make any promises, but he hopes to be able to pay the teachers in Bath County what they are worth.
The School Board had previously approved a three percent raise for teachers with a $1,000 dollar stipend but then changed to the five percent raise with no stipend. All classified employees in the district will be getting a one-dollar-per-hour raise.
The raises will take effect at the beginning of the next school year, July 1.