Cabarrus Today

In Cabarrus County, teacher supplements were again an issue during budget meetings as they rank in the 30s in the state, while principal supplements in the county are in the Top 10.

With such a high difference between teachers' and principal supplements, it brings up whether or not the numbers are true, according to an Independent Tribune report on April 10.

Supplements are additional compensation added based on a teacher's salary and are funded through sales and property tax, according to Independent Tribune. In 2019-20, each teacher in the county received the supplemental compensation equal to 9% of their salary, Independent Tribune reported.

“My response is that the board and district leadership have repeatedly shown the importance of teacher pay and supplements, including requesting reinstatement of Master's degree pay,” Cabarrus County Board of Education member Cindy Fertenbaugh told the Independent Tribune. “We communicate with our legislators in Raleigh to improve educational spending. We have ranked a supplement increase first on our expansion priorities in four out of the last five years."

Commissioners have made teacher supplements a priority, while also knowing there are limits to how much they can increase for the district, Fertenbaugh said to the Independent Tribune.

“Just like with students improving their skills year over year, I hope that teachers will see that supplements have continually been increased and we're not finished yet," she told the Independent Tribune.

Some teachers still feel they aren't valued, when compared to principals' supplement pay being much higher, according to Independent Tribune.

Countywide, teachers averaged a supplement pay of $3,776 in 2019-20, while the average for principals and assistant principals was $18,620, Independent Tribune reported.

The county board of education has been trying to increase teacher supplements since 2012.

Some people might wonder why the county doesn't raise taxes to help increase teacher supplements, but Shoemaker said taxpayers might not agree with this, according to Independent Tribune.

“If we were to increase the teachers’ supplement to 14%, well if you take 1% and multiply it by five, that would be $7.85 million, now how many cents added to the County property taxes is that?” Cabarrus County Board of Education member Barry Shoemaker told Independent Tribune. “We’d have to raise our taxes by four cents a hundred just to get our teachers to 14% and that would be the only thing the citizens get out of it and so the taxpayers might balk at that.”