How Much Tax Money Goes To Knox Co Schools

Thanks to a 25% increment in local revenue, Knox County Schools' projected budget for the next schoolhouse year is upward by $49.5 million.

Administrators promise to use the surplus to pay for raises for teachers and support staff similar school secretaries, custodians and educational activity assistants, and to add together experts in supporting student mental health.

The proposed budget totals $591.5 million, Superintendent Bob Thomas said at a contempo community upkeep meeting. Last twelvemonth'due south general purpose budget, also boosted by sales tax acquirement, was $542 million.

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The increase in revenue from local sales tax this year was five times more than the average annual increment. Combined with an expected 2% increase in contributions from the state, the budget for Knox County Schools is planned to increase by nine.1%, more than double the average year-to-year increase.

The budget is in the draft process and volition go before the Knox Canton Lath of Didactics for blessing Wednesday.

Though the upkeep represents by and large increases, local grants decreased.

This is because the county government relies on holding tax revenue, which didn't see strong growth this year. Every bit a event, the county asked the schoolhouse commune to blot funding costs for kindergarten intervention and a literacy initiative.

The budget includes funding to keep the district'due south virtual schools at all three levels.

Thomas said there volition be no cuts to school staff despite a minor drop in enrollment. This helps maintain the pupil/instructor ratio and retain staff long-term.

There is no cap on adding positions in growing schools. Thomas said staffing numbers are configured to the school's population with a formula, but sometimes the budget only allows for some of the recommended additions to exist realized. That won't happen this yr.

$25.5 million in raises and staff benefits

Education assistants, clerical staff and custodians will receive an viii% salary increase under the proposed upkeep.

Certified and classified employees — teachers, librarians, counselors and other specialists — will receive a iv% salary increase. Eligible personnel will receive pace increases on their bacon schedule.

The school district besides will maintain its contributions to health insurance plans. The state is projecting a 6% increase in premiums.

Included in compensation is a $ane.6 million increment in the upkeep for student transportation. The district is adding more jitney contracts, which translates to an increment in wages for passenger vehicle drivers.

$6 million for new positions in pupil back up

Knox County Schools will add 42 new positions in special didactics, health services, family unit community relations and English Linguistic communication Learning.

Teacher's aid Kim Wood, right, works one-on-one with first grader Kinsley Hughes inside Kristin Bosco's classroom at John Sevier Elementary in Maryville, Tenn., on Thursday, February 4, 2021. Bosco allows groups of up to six virtual students to come into the classroom for in-person English-Language Arts learning from 8:30 to 11:30 in the morning.

Those 42 roles will exist filled by special education teachers, speech and psychology professionals, and schoolhouse nurses.

It too includes new positions at the commune'due south welcome centre, Thomas said, to meliorate serve not-English speaking and limited English speaking families.

Along with the 42 new positions, the commune will absorb 20 federally funded positions in the same areas so they can be a stable part of the commune's future.

The bigger budget allows Knox Canton Schools to add together 18 social workers, school counselors and school culture professionals.

Of those xviii, eight will exist social workers in loftier schools and seven volition exist social workers in unproblematic schools.

The district is creating a brand-new part targeting students' chronic absence. Knox County Schools' chronic absenteeism rate of xvi.6% is higher than the state level, Thomas said.

Knox County Schools will add 4.8 positions for districtwide coordination of music and performing arts, library and media services and scientific discipline offerings.

Ane of the stand-out new positions is a hire for a principal for the new northwest-area unproblematic school, scheduled to open up for school yr 2023 - 2024.

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The principal will be in place by the fall and the commune will rent an assistant master by adjacent jump and so the pair can coordinate hiring for the school's teaching and support staff.

Additional school security

Knox County Schools will add 22 positions to its security division, and spend more on security software and supplies at a cost of $1.four million.

Twenty of those positions volition exist school security officers, one is a sergeant position and one is an existing security position that was funded by a grant.

School security officer officers are an employee of Knox County Schools. The armed officers are certified through the Knox County Sheriff's Role

The investment in security is part of $2.7 million budgeted for administrative and operational increases. That includes v new positions in engineering science, maintenance and operations and 10 new positions in school back up.

First grade teacher Kristin Bosco, left, works with a student one-on-one in her classroom at John Sevier Elementary in Maryville, Tenn., on Thursday, February 4, 2021. Bosco allows groups of up to six virtual students to come into the classroom for in-person English-Language Arts learning from 8:30 to 11:30 in the morning.

What'due south next for the budget?

The budget will next be presented to the Knox County Board of Education. The board meets on April 27 to review and vote on the budget.

Once the school board approves the district upkeep, the budget is sent to the canton mayor'southward office. The county mayor includes the school upkeep in the overall budget he sends to county commission.

The county commission volition vote in May on that larger upkeep. Commissioners must approve the final funding amount for the district but do not decide how the funds will be used.

This schools' budget is fabricated up of funds from local sales and property taxes. It also receives funding from Tennessee'due south state education fund, the Bones Pedagogy Programme.

District administrators piece of work on the budget throughout the yr earlier the budget is presented to the public. For this year's upkeep, the district sent out a survey asking families about their budget priorities.

Responses showed instructor pay and benefits and the recruitment and retentivity of loftier-quality employees are the superlative priorities of community members.

Correction: This story has been updated to show 20 of the new security positions will be school security officers, non school resource officers every bit originally stated.

Source: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2022/04/22/knox-county-schools-budget-increase-includes-8-raises-staffers/7383582001/

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