KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday, Knox County Schools met to discuss a proposed general budget for fiscal year 2024. The budget is around $668.3 million — around $12.8 million more than KCS leaders said they expected.
Jon Rysewyk, the KCS superintendent, proposed using most of those additional resources toward "one-time capital investment." In the budget memorandum, he said that by increasing that budget item, the school system would have more flexibility to address possible funding challenges in the coming years from limited TISA growth models, the loss of federal ESSER funding, and other possibilities.
The capital investment would make up around $23.8 million of the school system's budget — mostly used to pay down debt.
Keith Britt who lives in Knox County said this is the first step in a long process.
"Teachers are public servants, like the police or the fire department they're here to serve the public," Britt said. "When we're not paying teachers enough to stay in the community they serve that's a problem."
They also proposed using $30.7 million to give custodians, education assistants, and school clerical positions a pay raise. Part of those funds would be used for "targeted staff supports" for schools in Region 5, which they said has been trying to close achievement gaps while managing some of the highest teacher turnover rates in the district.
"We have a lot of issues that relate to pay, such as the understaffing issue where we have, I think, across the county, it's like 25% of positions are unfilled," said Trent Parsons, from Jobs with Justice. "You have schools where you need ten custodians to keep it fully clean, and you can have like, three, four, or five."
The proposed budget also includes $2.1 million to hire teachers and support personnel to open the new Mill Creek Elementary school — a total of 34 positions. An additional $1.8 million would be spent to add 16 elementary school teaching positions and two positions in middle schools, as well as five assistant administrators and a middle school counselor.
They also proposed spending $1.5 million on an "intervention pilot program." This program would create ten behavioral positions and ten academic positions focused on supporting students in elementary and middle school.
"As mentioned earlier, principals have consistently stressed the need for more behavioral support. This also became a major area of focus during our staffing committee meetings," the budget says.
The budget estimates KCS would receive around $316.1 million from Tennessee and around $340 million from Knox County taxes and fees.
The meeting to discuss the budget is expected to start at 5 p.m. on Thursday. They will also be discussing a $51.7 million capital budget and a $31.1 million school nutritional fund.
In the capital budget, they also proposed spending $4 million on security upgrades like emergency communication systems, upgraded video systems and carbon monoxide detectors in areas with natural gas appliances.
They are expected to spend $8 million on HVAC unit replacements, and $4 million to replace the existing roof at Farragut High School as well as additional roofing needs at other facilities.
They are also planning to spend around $25.4 million to accommodate expansion across Knox County, including a project to renovate Bearden Middle School and buying two modular classroom units.
The budget will need to be approved by Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and then the Knox County Commission will need to approve it.
"If we want to actually fill vacancies, which is really what the school board is trying to do with this new budget, you're gonna have to do quite a bit more," Parsons said.