On Friday, January 14, 2022 members of Lincoln County Schools Board of Education and School District leadership along with State and Local Officials met to discuss state budget priorities for the 2022-2023 school year. This meeting supports and emphasizes the importance of continuing the collaborative relationship that is critical to the goal of preparing all students in our school district to be career and/or college ready.
District leadership shared Lincoln County Schools’ Legislative Priorities for 2022:
1. Provide funding for continued COVID-19 relief and recovery.
- Enhance broadband internet access
- Develop post COVID-19 funding plan for “hot” areas of continued need
- Increase funding for resources to address mental health concern
- Provide effective measurement of school and student success.
2. Provide effective measurement of school and student success.
- Continue to refine A-F school performance grades
- Consider additional school performance indicators in the overall composite view of a school
3. Provide excellent educators.
- Reinstate advanced degree supplements
- Invest in educator training
- Ensure veteran principals are compensated for their years of experience
- Raise base pay of non-certified/classified employees to align with other State agencies and provide full funding for implementation
- Increase tax credit for educators that spend personal funds in classrooms for instruction
- Re-evaluate salary scale for veteran teachers
- Increase investment in key allotment areas including: AIG, EC, ESL, and ITS
4. Provide adequate and equitable resources for all schools/students
- Statewide bond to address backlog in school facility construction and renovation needs
- Increase Education Lottery proceeds designated for public school capital projects back to 40%
- Increase the State’s per-student investment
- Provide public schools with sales tax refund or exemption similar to cities, counties, non-profits, universities, charter schools, and private schools
5. Provide efficient operations and safe learning environments.
- Invest in school support personnel and continue/expand safety related grants
- Prevent additional cuts to school personnel in all aspects of school operations
- Provide calendar flexibility
- Allow full K-12 class size flexibility
- Re-examine the Teacher Assistant allotment formula to allow for more support
- Provide excellent educators.
a) Reinstate advanced degree supplements
b) Invest in educator training
c) Ensure veteran principals are compensated for their years of experience
d) Raise base pay of non-certified/classified employees to align with other State agencies and provide full funding for implementation
e) Increase tax credit for educators that spend personal funds in classrooms for instruction
f) Re-evaluate salary scale for veteran teachers
Increase investment in key allotment areas including: AIG, EC, ESL, and ITS
