ROCKINGHAM — Members of the Richmond County Board of Education just got a “modest” raise.
Tucked away in the consent agenda for the Richmond County Board of Commissioners was a request from Superintendent Dr. Joe Ferrell that monthly compensation for school board members be increased by $100 this year and another $100 next year.
The letter, addressed to Commissioners Chairman Jeff Smart, indicates that the matter has been discussed.
“While Board of Education members choose service as a civic duty, the nominal monthly compensation they receive helps to offset the cost in time and resources required for Board service,” Ferrell writes.
According to Ferrell, the chairman of the school board receives $350 per month and the other members are given $325 — and it has remained at those levels “for at least twenty-three years, with no adjustments for inflation or any other factors.”
The increase results in the chairman receiving $450 per month this year and $550 in 2025, and other members getting $425 in 2024 and $525 next year.
In two years, the chairman will be getting paid $6,600 per year and the other members will get $6,300.
According to a 2017 report by NC Public Press, school board members in Jackson and McDowell counties — which each have a population comparable to that of Richmond County — were paid $4,200 and $5,400, respectively.
Last year, the News-Journal reported that school board members in Hoke County were paid more than $7,000 each (the amounts varied per member) in pay and bonuses. Hoke County’s population is about 12,000 more than Richmond.
The school board approved the request at its August meeting, according to the letter.
Ferrell notes in the letter that the board isn’t requesting any additional funds, adding that the money would come from what has already been appropriated.
The county’s budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal years provides $12.927M to Richmond County Schools — an 8.45% increase from the previous year.
The consent agenda featured two budget amendments for the Richmond County Health Department, which received grants to help fund programs.
One amendment is for $140,290 “to focus on the work of removing barriers and expanding the COVID-19 vaccination program.”
The second for the Health Department was in the amount of $18,425 to “extend clinic hours for community outreach to promote” the WIC program.
Also included in the consent agenda was a $30,000 budget amendment from the Richmond County Board of Elections (an “oversight” not included in the original proposal) to fund part-time employees for the upcoming election.
Consent agendas are generally passed without any discussion prior to the topics on the regular agenda.
