SNOW HILL – Requests for competitive teacher salaries, small class sizes and technology funding highlighted a public budget input session hosted by the Worcester County Board of Education this week.
The school system on Tuesday hosted its annual public budget input session. Parents, each representing a local school, presented requests for their facilities for fiscal year 2023. Every speaker brought up the need for competitive salaries for educators.
“The time and commitment put into teaching our children should be compensated at the highest level,” Stephen Decatur High School parent Colby Phillips said.
According to Chief Financial Officer Vince Tolbert, the majority of the school system’s $117 million budget is funded locally, with 74% coming from Worcester County. The state funds about 17% while there is 9% federal funding. A breakdown of expenditures by category shows that 64.8% of funding goes to instructional programs, while 14.49% goes to special education, 10.39% to operation of plant and 5.54% to transportation.
Parents shared requests from various schools. Showell Elementary School is seeking pay increases for teachers, maintaining current staffing and class sizes and continued support of technology needs. Ocean City Elementary School requested materials of instruction, competitive salaries and maintenance of current devices. At Buckingham, requests include competitive salaries, low class sizes and support for the school’s afterschool programs.
Other schools echoed the requests, particularly the need for competitive teacher salaries.
“I’ve not met one teacher that says they’re doing it for the money,” Berlin Intermediate School parent Hope Palmer said.
Another common refrain was small class sizes.
“Teachers are also handling very large classroom settings,” Phillips said. “The incoming freshmen this year and failure rate last year have made classes 30-plus at Stephen Decatur High School.”
She said teachers needed to have small enough class sizes that they were able to form relationships with their students.
“It’s not just about handing the children paperwork,” she said. “It’s also about the emotional connection made and I think there needs to be smaller classroom sizes so that can be addressed.”
Beth Shockley-Lynch, president of the Worcester County Teachers Association, said the pandemic had impacted everyone. She encouraged officials to think about teachers’ needs moving forward.
“I have no doubt you’ll do your very best to show we’re valued,” she said.
