Metro Nashville Public Schools District 3 Board Member Zach Young opened a lengthy discussion about spending priorities on May 27 when he suggested the district might be more attractive to potential teachers if it offered a bigger raise this year.
The district’s proposed $1.3 billion budget announced by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell earlier this month includes $18.6 million for a three percent cost of living raise, along with $9.2 million for salary step increases based on experience. The overall budget is a 13 percent increase from last year.
“I think the only way we can try and continue to make progress filling positions is not falling behind on what we pay the employees,” said Young “I think three percent keeps us on track but I don’t think it gets us ahead to try and help us out and so I’m really going to implore this board to really think about, are we ready to make some potentially tough decisions to get to a four or five percent.”…