CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education unanimously approved its new budget for the upcoming school year.
The $2 billion budget includes money for school maintenance, new technology for students and pay increases for teachers and staff. Superintendent Crystal Hill will present the budget to Mecklenburg County lawmakers next week.
Hill said the district's budget, which asks for $63 million more from the county than last year, will put $14 million toward teacher pay. Starting salaries would go up by 4.5%; however, some people say that's not enough to cover the cost of living in Charlotte. Other folks are concerned that more money for CMS means higher taxes on top of the $2.5 billion bond referendum voters approved in November.
“North Carolina needs to start paying more and they need to start now," Judy Henion, the president of the Classroom Teachers Association of North Carolina, said. "Why should people come to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and be faced with more disruptive classes, and less assistance in the classroom? Why should they come to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools when they can go across the line to Fort Mill or Rock Hill and get paid more?"
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