By Nathan Prewett, For the Tribune
LEEDS – The Leeds Board of Education has set its salary schedule for teachers to coincide with state law and approved an application for the Child Eligibility Provision or CEP program following a presentation from Child Nutrition Director Anita Carlisle at the previous meeting.
The meeting on Tuesday, June 13, began with the usual report by Chief Financial Officer Ryan Miller, who said that the district received 71.57% of the general fund revenues and 103.05% of the local revenues in April. He said that this was up 7.53% from this time in 2022.
The month was ended with an excess of revenues over expenditures in the general fund of $2,401,174. The unreserved fund balance was $6,547,079.
Sometime afterwards, the board approved applying for CEP, which is a free breakfast and lunch program for students as outlined by Carlisle last time the board met. It is a product of the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the aim of providing free meals to more students and the district will be reimbursed based on the percentage of those who qualify.
“It’s a great financial benefit to the school system,” said Superintendent John Moore, who added that if the program does not work out it can be dropped at any time.
Afterwards was setting the new salary schedule for teachers. Moore said that this was to be consistent with state law that was recently enacted by Gov. Kay Ivey. The legislation increases payrolls in an effort to attract and retain teacher to address a shortage throughout the state.
School districts have to pay a minimum of $15 per hour. Moore pointed out that even before the increase by the state, the Leeds district was “in great shape” when paying teachers, though aides were not being paid the $15 minimum until now.
Though the district won’t get the funds from the state until later, they can go ahead and set the schedule sooner than later.
“It has always been our custom to make the increase go along with the employees’ contract year,” he said. “So we don’t get the money for the increase ‘til October but we can start it in July.”
The schedule was approved unanimously.
Elementary Education and Federal Programs Director Burke Wren said that testing will begin on June 19 for literacy and numeracy at the primary school for K-1 students. At the elementary school, students in second and third will be tested for the same but fourth and fifth graders will be tested for numeracy only.
This will be a two-week process and breakfast and lunch will be provided for students, as well as bus transportation.
Andrew Jackson, supervisor of instructional technology, reported on the district’s cyber security status, mentioning the recent attack on the Jefferson County school system that forced teachers to use pen and paper. But he said that his department has installed firewalls in all of the Leeds buildings to hopefully prevent similar situations.
He said that he had consulted with experts about the Leeds district’s cyber system and believes that if an attack occurs they should have everything back online in 48 hours.
“I want to put this board’s mind at ease that we’re doing everything we can,” he said. “It’s the old attitude: it’s not if you get attacked, it’s when. And it’s going to happen at some point in our tenure, but we are prepared and we’ll be functioning at 48 hours.”
In other business, the board:
- Approved revision to the Code of Conduct 2023-2024, and
- Approved budget amendments for the fiscal year 2023.
The next meeting will be held on July 11, at 6:30 p.m., at the Leeds Board of Education Building on 1517 Hurst Avenue.
Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@gmail.com.