Lexington 1’s board approved a 2nd reading budget that calls for no tax increase. A 3rd and final reading is still needed.

On Tuesday, May 18, the operating budget calls for:

• providing a step increase for all employees (about $3.7 million).

· providing a $1,000 salary increase per step for salaried employees.

• increasing bus driver pay by 5% in addition to the $1 per hour increase presented in the 1st reading of the budget.

• increasing support staff pay by $1 per hour. (A $1 per hour x 6 hours x 180 days would be a $1,080 increase.)

• increasing the years of experience steps on all salary schedules to 40 years.

• modifying all salary schedules by providing a retention incentive every 5 years by providing pay at an additional step 1 year earlier.

• paying new teachers with less than 3 years of experience step 2 salary on the teacher salary schedule until they acquire 3 years of experience.

• aligning the salary schedules for nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, career specialists, and board-certified behavior analysts to recognize their educational degrees.

• increasing substitute pay.

The proposed general fund budget also continues these recruitment and retention strategies:

• funds a local national board stipend of $3,000 regardless of whether the teacher receives the statefunded $5,000 stipend currently in the Senate version of the Appropriations Bill.

• provides opportunities for reduced-cost graduatelevel courses.

• provides professional texts for graduate courses at no cost.

• pays (in whole or part) for a variety of other professional development opportunities.

The district anticipates a 2% student increase of 515 students.