Courtesy of JMCSS
Investment. That’s the buzz word around conversations held this week by district leadership as Superintendent Dr. Marlon King commits to additional benefits for Jackson-Madison County School System employees.
“If you want to see a stronger school system, and if you want to change the educational landscape in a community, you have to invest in people. You have to embrace it,” Dr. King said.
With the assistance of Internal Budget Committee members, Dr. King is considering raises and other employee investments for the 2021-2022 budget. The Internal Budget Committee, which began meeting in October, is one tool Dr. King will use to make the new budget efficient.
“An investment can come in a number of different ways. For example, it could be provided in the form of a raise, or it could be provided in the form of providing a bigger percentage of coverage for insurance. So it’s a big picture that we’re looking at when thinking about how to invest in people,” Dr. King said.
After just five months on the job, and amid the financial challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. King has already taken several steps to show his commitment to district employees. Approximately $695,000 of the current budget is earmarked to provide holiday bonuses for all employees; additional care was taken to ensure employees would not be impacted by the taxes associated with those bonuses. Dr. King also committed additional funds for employee health benefits to protect teachers from the impact of the 2% increase in state insurance premiums. The Internal Budget Committee’s aim is to assist Dr. King with developing additional benefits for employees by the initial 2021-2022 budget review window in March.
“The goal of this administration is to provide a quality education for students and do two things for our employees; invest in them financially and professionally. The stronger our employees are professionally, the better outcomes we’re going to get from our students,” Dr. King said.