The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education approved new salary tables and retro pay during their meeting on Tuesday night.
The North Carolina General Assembly approved new certified pay scales to give school system employees raises during their 2024 legislative session. Classified employees will all receive a 3% raise in accordance with the new pay scales, while certified employees will receive an average of a 3% raise that will vary between positions and experience levels. The raises officially took effect on July 1, and WS/FCS employees will receive retro pay back to that date following the board’s approval.
As school districts around the country struggle to attract and retain a quality talent pool amid teacher shortages, WS/FCS recognizes that it is essential to reward its employees for their consistent and devoted efforts. The Finance Department has been working long hours on multiple projects to improve compensation in the past year, including through local longevity supplements and a market study to find fairer rates for salaries. Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kranz expects that district employees will feel the benefit of the new raises as soon as the next pay period in the middle of September.
“We’ll have payroll in mid-September,” Kranz said. “Somewhere between now and that date, we’ll go do the retro and get everybody paid up to that point. Everybody will see what their rate is going to be and what impact it’s going to have. I think it’s going to be great from a morale standpoint.”
The board members unanimously approved the new salary schedules, which can be viewed in more detail here.
Also on the board’s agenda for the evening were:
- A performance from student musicians participating in the Winston-Salem Symphony’s PLAY program
- A special recognition for Serenity Ke from Northwest Middle School for winning first place in the Professional Educators of North Carolina Young Artist Competition
- A proclamation acknowledging September as Attendance Awareness Month
- Updates on the district’s preschool, Head Start, SmartStart Partnership, and Pre-K Priority Model Cohort programs
- Discussion of the Atrium Health Levine Children’s School-Based Virtual Care partnership
- Approval of a new MOA with the Winston-Salem Symphony’s PLAY program, curriculum contracts at Konnoak Middle School, a construction bid for the new Brunson Elementary School, and several other action items
The Board of Education will meet again on Tuesday, September 10 at 6:30 pm.